For the large number of students taking admission in BJB Autonomous College here, the existing hostel facilities are grossly inadequate. Although the college has seen frequent agitations by students over the issue in the past, there has been no remedial measure as yet. The college has one general hostel for boys and one girls’ hostel, which is shared by girls from both Junior and Autonomous colleges. There is Ambedkar hostel for SC and ST students of the college.
While the boys’ hostel has 104 seats, the remaining hostels have 100 seats each. Apart from these three, there is one 100-bed hostel for boys of BJB Junior College, which are inadequate. Under these circumstances, a large number of students from other districts and States __ particularly girls __ struggle every year to find alternative accommodation near the campus, which becomes a costly and tedious affair.
Admitting the problem, Principal Suresh Chandra Patnaik said for the growing number of students enrolling for various courses in the college, the existing number of hostel seats is “highly inadequate”. He said girls are facing more problems than boys as an increasing number of girls have been taking admission in the college.
Although the construction of the second girls’ hostel at the autonomous college was initiated early last year and scheduled to be completed by September, work is far from over. Though the officials concerned said a major part of the construction work is over, there has been no water and electricity supply as yet. This 100-bed hostel is being constructed next to the existing one which was built in 2008 with funds from the Odisha Mining Corporation. Funded by the SC/ST Welfare Department, the construction work is being looked after by the Industrial Development Corporation of Odisha Ltd (IDCO). The college authorities, however, feel the new hostel will bring little succour to the growing demands for accommodation by girl students.
The Principal said the college needs one more hostel immediately to accommodate students taking admission this year. “We are hopeful that by the time spot admissions are over, the second girls’ hostel will be ready and handed over to the college administration. Although this new hostel will not suffice, we have been placing proposals for more hostels at several quarters from time to time,” he said.
Meanwhile, the spot admission of various departments of BJB Autonomous College will take place on July 31.
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