Hostel plans caught in bureaucratic red tape

While many colleges have plans for building hostels or expanding existing capacity, their plans seem to be caught in bureaucratic red tape, reports Swaha Sahoo.

Students hoping for a hostel facility in many Delhi University colleges will have to wait for a long time. While many colleges have plans for building hostels or expanding existing capacity, their plans seem to be caught in bureaucratic red tape.

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Kamala Nehru College in South Campus has prepared its plans for a 200-seat hostel. However, the plan has not moved beyond paperwork. “Both the UGC and the Delhi Government are keen on funding. But you have to run to different agencies for paperwork,” said Minoti Chatterjee, Principal.

“We will be submitting the proposals to the DDA for approval. Then we have the issue of cutting so many trees in order to build the hostel. We have to seek separate permission for that,” Chatterjee said.

Gargi College has used up all available space for the construction of an auditorium. “I have written to the vice-chancellor to inform him that the floor area ratio should be increased since we don’t have any more space for a hostel,” said Meera Ramchandran, Principal.

“I am also talking to Kamala Nehru and we are debating a common hostel for both colleges,” she said.

At Hindu College, which has accommodation only for men, the expansion plans are lying with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). “Grants for the expansion was released last year but the plans are lying with the MCD for some time now. We can only go forward once the MCD clears our plan,” said Kavita Sharma, principal.

The same is the case with Daulat Ram College, which has received a grant of Rs 2.4 crore from the UGC for constructing the second floor of the hostel.

“We wanted to begin the hostel this year but plans are still with the MCD,” said principal Kannan Nanda.