DU executive council member seeks emergency meeting to discuss safe, affordable student housing

DU executive council member seeks emergency meeting to discuss safe, affordable student housing

New Delhi, A Delhi University Executive Council member has sought an emergency meeting of the statutory body to discuss the need for safe and affordable student housing following the collapse of a paying guest accommodation in Satya Niketan.

DU executive council member seeks emergency meeting to discuss safe, affordable student housing

In a letter to Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh, Executive Council member Mithuraj Dhusiya said the collapse of the five-storey residential building, which housed students as paying guests, had exposed the failure of authorities to ensure safe, affordable and dignified accommodation for students.

Dhusiya urged the vice chancellor to convene an emergency meeting of the Executive Council to discuss immediate measures needed to prevent such tragedies in the future.

"Delhi University, working with its constituent colleges, needs to build up a robust system of safe, affordable and dignified housing facilities including hostels in large numbers in different locations in Delhi," he said in the letter.

The university should approach both the Centre and the Delhi government for grants required to build additional housing facilities, he added.

Until adequate facilities are created, the university should consider making appropriate arrangements with relevant stakeholders to provide safe and affordable accommodation to students who require it, Dhusiya said.

The National Democratic Teachers' Front said the incident had raised serious concerns over the apparent lack of strict adherence to structural and fire safety norms at several privately run hostels and paying guest accommodations in Delhi.

The organisation said many such facilities were located in areas with extremely narrow lanes, making access and rescue operations difficult during emergencies.

The NDTF demanded a thorough and time-bound inquiry into the Satya Niketan incident and stringent action against those found responsible for negligence or violation of safety norms.

It also urged authorities to conduct a comprehensive inspection of privately run hostels and PG accommodations around Delhi University and its colleges to ensure compliance with structural and fire safety regulations.

The teachers' body noted that some measures had already been initiated by the authorities, South Campus colleges and the Delhi University administration.

It suggested that the university and college administrations begin wider consultations with elected teachers' and students' representatives, particularly to address the concerns of outstation students.

The NDTF also called for meetings of statutory bodies on the issue and the formation of a special task force to explore the creation of more hostel facilities for undergraduate students.

The proposed task force should also examine norms governing private hostels and PG accommodations used by students, including issues related to safety, food and charges, it said.

The organisation further suggested that colleges maintain and regularly update accurate records of students' local addresses and places of stay.

The demands come in the wake of the collapse of a multi-storey building in Satya Niketan near Delhi University's South Campus, which has renewed concerns over the safety of privately operated student accommodations in the area.

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