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Ludhiana: Poor arrangements at PAU, claim fest visitors
A faculty accompanying the students, Yakshita, said, “I have been attending these festivals since 2018, first as a student and now as faculty, but this is the poorest arrangement I’ve seen so far”
The students visiting Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) for 37th inter university national youth festival have complained of poor sanitation and hygiene in the provided accommodation.
The contingent of 36 from Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, including 26 students and 10 technicians, were provided accommodation at SCD Government College. A faculty accompanying the students, Yakshita, said, “I have been attending these festivals since 2018, first as a student and now as faculty, but this is the poorest arrangement I’ve seen so far.” “Our boys have been made to put up in two rooms. There were not enough bedding. The mattress and sheets were dirty. There was just one bucket to bathe for the entire group,” she added.
Yakshita said when they reached here a couple of days back, no one was available to guide them. We barely managed to find the set up by asking random people, she added.
Debasica Kolita, a student of Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University, Assam, said there were no beds in the rooms and the washrooms in hostel were not properly maintained.
PAU’s director students’ welfare Nirmal Singh Jaura, responsible for the accommodation arrangements, said, “it is just their way of looking at things. Some people look at things positively while others focus on the negative aspect. We are trying our best.”
Additional director communications Tajinder Singh Riar said, “We had prepared for around 2,400 students, but a lot more had turned up, making the arrangements stretched.” A varsity official said around 15 universities hadn’t registered on the portal which hampered the overall arrangements.
The programme with around 188 participating varsities is hosted by PAU for the first time, and total cost of the event would be around ₹1 crore.
