Delhi govt to develop hostels for 10,000 students, land identified: CM Rekha Gupta

The Delhi government will develop hostel facilities for 10,000 students, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Tuesday amid a growing demand for more such state-run accommodation for students after the Satya Niketan tragedy.

Meetings with departments concerned have been held in this regard and locations for these hostels have also been identified, she said in a video shared from her X handle.

The government is also framing a policy to ensure proper accommodation facilities for students who come to Delhi in large numbers every year, said the chief minister.

The decision by the Delhi government comes in the aftermath of the collapse of a five-storeyed paying guest (PG) accommodation in Satya Niketan in the heart of Delhi University‘s South Campus that left seven persons, including five students, dead.

Gupta said the hostel facility will be for both male and female students. The accommodations will be available to students from any college or university in Delhi.

“We will develop such hostels where parents can leave their children with complete peace of mind, regardless of which state they come from and the students also will not have to worry and can concentrate on their dreams,” she assured.

Gupta underlined that it’s important to fulfil the requirements of hostels for colleges and universities if Delhi has to emerge as a bigger education hub of the country.

Lakhs of students reach Delhi for admissions to various institutions but fail to get hostel facilities, she said.

“The Delhi government has decided to construct hostels for 10,000 students to ensure their safety, security and economical accommodation will be taken care of,” the chief minister said.

The issue of lack of proper hostel facilities for the students in Delhi has come under sharper focus in the wake of the PG building collapse incident. Lakhs of students are forced to live in unsafe buildings at PG hubs across the city, paying high rents and poor amenities.

Immediately after the Satya Niketan tragedy, a high-level meeting chaired by Lt Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu was held in which the chief minister was also present. The meeting discussed the issue and Sandhu directed a committee headed by Education Minister Ashish Sood to frame a policy.

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The 18-member committee has been constituted with the approval of the LG to assess the demand-supply gap in residential facilities for students and ensure land availability for development of hostels.

The LG has also directed exploring the feasibility of using vacant government land and buildings for student accommodations.