Delhi LG approves high-powered panel to boost student accommodation facilities in city

Delhi Lt Governor TS Sandhu has approved formation of a high-powered committee to assess demand-supply gap in residential facilities for the students and ensure land availability for their accommodation, officials said on Thursday.

The 18 member inter-agency committee comprises Chief Secretary, Commissioner of Police, Commissioner MCD, Chairman NDMC, Vice Chairman DDA and vice chancellors of DU, GGSIPU, Ambedkar University and NSUT, apart from other senior officials. Secretary (Education) will be member secretary of the committee.

Sandhu had issued direction for the formation of the committee in a meeting also attended by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday, in the backdrop of Satya Niketan tragedy in which seven people, including five students, lost their lives in the collapse of a five-storey paying guest (PG) accommodation last Sunday.

The panel will also prescribe emergency evacuation and disaster-response protocols for student accommodation and suggest a centralised digital monitoring mechanism for students to report unsafe housing. It will submit its recommendations within 60 days, a Lok Niwas note said.

The Committee will provide overarching policy direction, ensure inter-departmental coordination and monitor implementation of measures relating to student accommodation and safety across the capital, it said.

It will also suggest establishing a mechanism through which students can report unsafe accommodation, overcrowding, fire hazards or other serious safety concerns, with time-bound action. To this effect suggest development of a centralised digital monitoring/dashboard.

The LG in the September 7 meeting, directed the Delhi Education minister to lead a committee with senior officials to review institutional PG guidelines, explore alternative student accommodation through Universities, MCD and DDA and assess the feasibility of using unutilized, vacant DDA, MCD and other government buildings for student accommodation.

Also Read: After Satya Niketan collapse, fears mount over unsafe buildings

The committee mandate will be to assess the existing gap between student demand and available hostel accommodation in Delhi, exploring creation and expansion of student accommodation through universities, MCD, DDA and other government agencies, the Lok Niwas said.

The committee will also encourage universities and institutions to develop safe, affordable and adequately regulated hostel facilities for their students, and suggest measure to develop a centralised database of student accommodation facilities.

Prescribing standard emergency evacuation and disaster-response protocols for student accommodation, devising mechanism to ensure periodic fire/disaster mock drills and safety awareness programmes for students, hostel wardens, university officials and PG operators, will also be among its terms and references.