(M important) PU hostellers continue to stay in campus
Deepankar Sharda
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 2
Having no foremost reasons, around 150 hostellers of the Panjab University (PU) continue to stay in the campus putting financial and psychological burden on the authorities since March, beginning of the countrywide lockdown.
Now that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended of universities till July 31, the PU authorities are convincing these students to go home.
The list also includes around 22 female students and notably majority of these students are from neighbourhood states. The campus has as many as 20 hostels, out of which four are taken over by the UT Administration.
Though majority of the hostellers, even from remote areas, went back home, some opted to stay here without having any specific reasons. The authorities allowed them to stay back on humanitarian grounds, but as the Covid-19 knocked PU’s doors, they are asked to leave for the respective homes.
These students are been provided with hostel food and round the clock staff is also deputed. Earlier, they were allowed to visit campus markets in presence of an attendant but after cases appeared, the exercise was also stopped. Perhaps, no other university of the region allowed its hostellers to stay back without giving any valid reason.
“We are trying to convincing the hostellers staying here. Those from abroad have ensured us to leave on July 15 with the star of international flights, while others will be going back in a day or so. I have personally visited all the hostels and there have been many students who are from Haryana and Punjab. Staying with their parents will give them a good environment in these times,” said Prof Sukhbir Kaur, DSW (W).
“Even the research scholars are contacting their guides through online mode. I don’t know the specific reasons on why these students are allowed to stay here. But in these tough times, they should be with their parents. We are trying to convince with this,” said Prof SK Tomar, DSW (PU).
A source meanwhile added: “These students have nothing to do here. They are restricting themselves to one room without any contact with the outer world. I don’t understand the reason of opening the hostels when there is no teaching in the campus. Many staff members, mess contractors have already raised their concerns over it. Looking at them, many other students are also demanding the same from authorities,”
Majority of the hostellers meanwhile said that they were living for personal reasons, while other states to attend online classes.
All boys’ hostel open
The students have been placed at different hostels citing to social distancing norms. There are 20 hostels, while all boys’ hostels are open, only few are open for girls. Many students have been given unofficial permission to cook inside the room on their own, which is making a hole in mess contractor’s pocket. A precise data has been already submitted with the authorities. Two food mess have been open for boys, while one for girls. The authorities have appointed multi- tasking staff (cleaners, gardeners), wardens and security guards to look after the proceedings. SOPs are been followed at all hostels at variable costs.
Int’l hostel
The PGI authorities took over PU’s international hostel for putting up doctors fighting in the line of the duty. According to an official communiqué PGI confirmed that the hostel has been reserved for doctors.
