Sri Venkateswara University has no heart to spare space for hostellers

Tirupati: Post-graduate and undergraduate students are suffering on account of lack of adequate accommodation in hostels on the campus of famed Sri Venkateswara University.

For the last two academic years, the situation has only turned worse as nearly 3,000 hostel students are packed like sardines in the rooms of various hotel blocks. The number of students had increased after the University has introduced new courses for income generation, but it glossed over the need to increase accommodation at the hostels.

It is learnt that the capacity of the varsity hostels is for only 2,000 students. But the number of students living in the hostels is about 3,000. On the campus, there are 16 hostel blocks- 10 for boys, two for girls, four for engineering students. The authorities are forcing 12 girl-students to live in one room in the university's main girls’ hostels.

The same situation is prevailing in boys' hostel too where students find life difficult since they would have to use the same facilities meant for two students per room. As the number has increased, the water supply has become insufficient. About 450 students are additionally staying in varsity's engineering college hostels.

On severe hostel accommodation shortage, SFI district secretary N Madhava Krishna, speaking to The Hans India, said that many times on behalf of SVU students, they had submitted memoranda to VC, Registrar and other higher officials, but to of no avail.

When contacted, SVU Rector Prof G Janakiramiah said that very soon two additional blocks would come up which will solve accommodation problem. The Ministry for Human Resources Development will sanction funds for the construction of hostel blocks. "We have proposed construction of two hostels blocks, one for BPED and the other for girl students of engineering courses," he said.