BU plans renovation of student hostels

Student hostelers of Bangalore University can expect some relief soon as the varsity has decided to take up renovation works on a priority basis.

A university Syndicate meeting on Tuesday approved civil and electrical renovation and repair works worth Rs 3 crore for the university hostels and administration building.
Several complaints have been raised about the poor condition of hostels, including sanitation and electricity.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Tuesday after the meeting, Vice Chancellor Prof B Thimme Gowda acknowledged the maintenance problems dogging the hostels and assured that they would be resolved soon. One of the main reasons for poor infrastructure in the hostels is the excess number of students.

“The ladies hostel, for instance, is built to accommodate about 350 students. However, more than 600 students are staying in the hostel. Owing to this, we face sanitation problems,” said Gowda.

In fact, the university wanted to restrict the admissions to hostels this year but there were several outstation students who requested the university officials to accommodate them in the existing space. In the interest of students, the university agreed to their request, Gowda added.

The university is constructing a new hostel which would be ready by March. However, some of the buildings need immediate attention. While the university is not financially equipped to take up all the work at once, it will be done in phases. A committee headed by the registrar will meet on Wednesday, October 22, to decide on the repair works that need to be taken up immediately.

The works taken up for the ladies hostel will cost about Rs 80-85 lakh. Also, nine additional rooms have been planned in the ladies hostel as an immediate solution to the limited space problem. Due to security reasons, the students cannot be accommodated in any other building, the vice chancellor added.

The PhD Boys’ hostel, PG 2 and physical education hostels too will undergo renovation. Five new transformers will be erected to quell the power supply problems to the hostel buildings. Besides, unauthorised occupants in hostels will be forced to vacate, Gowda said.
Apart from the repair works, a bus depot is also being planned for the Jnanabharathi campus to address transportation issues faced by students.

The vice chancellor has spoken to the BMTC Managing Director in this regard. The transport authorities have asked for three acres of land within the campus to construct a bus depot. The university is considering this to improve connectivity and transportation for students.

Meanwhile, the Wi-Fi and CCTV works are on at a brisk pace and will be completed in another two months, the vice chancellor said.

Study centres

The university has also decided to shut down BU study centres outside the university jurisdiction.

As per regulations, the university cannot have study centres outside its jurisdiction and hence they will have to be shut down, Gowda said.