Former Parliamentary Secretary to the Chief Minister of Delhi and senior Congress leader Shri Mukesh Sharma has demanded that the government amend the Master Plan to permit the construction of high-rise hostel buildings on vacant land available within existing colleges and educational institutions in Delhi.
Taking a dig at the government, he said that amendments can be made to the Master Plan for Delhi’s nightlife and for large corporate houses, but no one seems to be concerned about students. He further criticised the government, saying that hundreds of trees are cut down on government land to construct roads for influential people, but adequate attention is not being paid to providing accommodation for students.
Mukesh Sharma said that the new government announcements being made almost every day following the tragic incident in Satya Niketan are merely an exercise in covering up the issue. He said that neither the present government is serious about providing hostel facilities to students of Delhi University, nor does it appear to have the right intention. He said that adequate hostel facilities are required not only at Delhi University but also at institutions such as NSUT, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, National Law University and IIT, despite space being available at these institutions. He held the government directly responsible for the inadequate arrangements. He emphatically stated that Delhi belongs to everyone and that providing accommodation for students who come to Delhi from outside the city is also a responsibility of the government. However, no adequate attention has been given to this issue so far. Shri Mukesh Sharma suggested to the government that if there is any shortage of space at Delhi University’s South Campus, although he maintained that there is not, the government could construct a large hostel facility in Dwarka. He pointed out that Dwarka Metro can be reached from Dhaula Kuan in just about 15 minutes.
Until such a facility is constructed, temporary accommodation could be arranged in vacant DDA flats. This would provide students relief from exorbitant rents and would also ensure better arrangements for their safety as well as food and other basic needs. Hostel facilities should first be developed at colleges and institutions that already have vacant land available. Shri Mukesh Sharma alleged that such tragic incidents continue to occur in Delhi, but due to poor administration and corruption, no concrete system is put in place despite the government’s claims of wanting to address the issue. He said that the matter is not limited to Satya Niketan. In areas across Delhi where such institutions are located, including Dwarka and its adjoining areas, students continue to live in private hostels where they face difficulties ranging from high rents to food-related issues. However, students are often unable to raise their voices because of their circumstances. He, therefore, urged the government to take strict action and formulate a concrete policy on the matter so that such incidents can be prevented in the future and students can be provided with maximum possible facilities.
