Stu-C vacated, hostels locked down

Amarjot Kaur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16

Two days after Panjab University (PU) authorities issued a notice to suspend all classes at the varsity and vacate the hostels at its affiliated colleges in view of curbing the possibility of coronavirus from spreading, it has now decided that all canteens in the university’s teaching departments, both in Sector 14 and Sector 25, and all shops at the Student Centre be closed till March 31. For the said duration, the university will not charge any rent from the respective contactors/shopkeepers.

At the university, most of the students have vacated their hostel rooms. A report sought by the Dean Student Welfare Prof Emanuel Nahar, said not more than a 200 students are staying at the girls’ and boys’ hostels. After assessing the report sent by the wardens of the hostels, Nahar informed, “In a total of eight boys’ hostels, only 120 students are staying at Boys’ Hostel No 5, while less than 100 students are left in the remaining seven hostels.”

The students embarked on the homeward route on Sunday, rapidly after receiving an advisory from the varsity. Vikas, who stays in Boys Hostel No 1, said, “I have packed my bags and will be leaving today because we don’t know if the Covid-19 situation will blow out of proportion here. I just want to go home.”

In the girls’ hostels, the situation was no different. “Even though Girls’ Hostel No 10 houses between 125 and 130 students at the moment, in the remaining nine hostels, there are less than 100 students. Also, there are only 29 students residing at the International Hostel,” Nahar informed.

In several other city colleges, students have vacated the hostels too.

Meanwhile, in a meeting attended by Prof Emanual Nahar, Dean Student Welfare, and Prof Neena Capalash, Dean Student Welfare (Women), Panjab University (PU), today. After due deliberations, it was decided that the guest room, common room, visitor room, gym, guest entry etc will be closed immediately in all hostels. The workers of the hostels are advised to wear masks and sanitisers to be kept at the main counter of the hostels.

Further, one mess in each hostel be closed where the strength of the students is less than 100. The committee also advised for immediate ban on online food orders by the residents. Also, no guest will be allowed in the hostels up to March 31. If any guest or outsider is found staying illegally in the hostel, the resident will be imposed fine of Rs 1,000. Any resident suffering from cough, cold and fever is advised to get medical assistance immediately.

Hostellers leave from PEC too

The spokesperson of Punjab Engineering College, JD Sharma shared that most of the students residing is hostels have left. “Only those students who are in the sixth semester and others who are interning here are at the hostels, while the others have left,” he said.

PU tailors to make masks

Registrar Karamjeet Singh informed that the tailors of the varsity have been asked to stitch cloth masks for people. He said, “We have issued directions to the hostel tailors that they stitch cloth masks for the faculty and non-teaching employees of the university.”

DSW issues instructions

• Guest room, common room, visitors room, gym, be closed immediately. Sanitisers be proved at the main counter of the hostels.
• One mess in each hostel be closed, where the strength of the students is less than hundred. Mess contractors advised not to supply food/eatables outside the hostels. Online food delivery to be stopped immediately.

Foreign students prefer staying back

• In the wake of lockdown in their countries due to Covid, most Iranians have chosen to stay back. Mehri, an Iranian student at PU’s Department of History, said, “I have to finish my thesis by April 11, so I am here. I can’t go back to my country as there’s a lockdown. In such situation it’s also not financially feasible to go back to Iran.”
• Omar, from Afghanistan, who studies at varsity’s UIAMS, shared, “I was planning a Goa trip in the coming week, but I can’t because of Covid. I am planning to stay back and keep myself semi-quarantined. Back in my country, there are reportedly 21 positive cases. I’d rather stay here in my room. The hostel is vacant anyway.”

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