E-Paper
Punjabi University hostels turned into Covid-19 isolation centres, students a harried lot
Students, lodging at Banda Singh Bahadur hostel for boys and Mai Bhago hostel for girls, only given a 24-hour window to come and collect their possessions
Around 2,500 Punjabi University students were asked to vacate hostels on Friday evening as a couple of hostels on campus are being converted into isolation centres on the directions of the Patiala district administration. The students were only given 24 hours to vacate their rooms.
Students lodging at the Banda Singh Bahadur hostel for boys and Mai Bhago hostel for girls received a communication from the university asking them to vacate their rooms and collect their belongings by Saturday evening.
The belongings of those who are unable to come to the campus will be stored and returned once the situation normalises.
Students were asked to leave the varsity campus following orders of the state government to shut educational institutions across the state in wake of coronavirus pandemic in March.
On Saturday, the university witnessed a heavy rush of students who had come from across the state to collect their belongings.
Vikram Singh of Democratic Students’ Union said students from faraway places such as Muktar, Bathinda and Mansa were facing trouble adhering to the 24-hour window.
“The students received notices on their mobile phones on Friday evening and were directed to visit the university and take their stuff within 24 hours in times when public transport is shut and there are restrictions on the movement of private vehicles,” he said.
Amritpal Kaur, a student, said she had come all the way from Barnala with her father to collect her belongings.
“Though we are cooperating with the authorities, we should have received a timely notification,” she said.
Ajaib Singh, an activist of the Democratic Students Union, said there were many other buildings lying vacant on campus, and the authorities should have used them as isolation centres instead.
Meanwhile, dean students’ welfare (DSW) professor Tara Singh said the varsity was helping the district administration tackle Covid-19.
On students being provided a short notice, the DSW said, “Hostel wardens had contacted students before the notice was issued. We are assisting students who are visiting campus to collect their belongings.”
Since the official residence of vice-chancellor professor BS Ghuman falls within 100m of the newly setup isolation centre at Mai Bhago hostel, Ghuman’s residence has been temporarily shifted, while wardens and other teaching and non-teaching staff residents have followed suit.
