RTMNU hostels may be needed for quarantined persons
   Date :02-Apr-2020


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By Ajay Mardikar :
 
Twelve students allowed to stay back in hostel 
 
With almost all the students of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University have vacated the hostel rooms, 12 students were allowed to stay back. The students are from distant places like Laddak, North Eastern states and one from Delhi. This include three girl students from North-East. The students requested the Vice-Chancellor to allow them to stay at the hostel, as their travel to their native place might take three to four days and they could face difficulty on reaching there.
 
The university has capacity to accommodate about 1100 students in more than 300 rooms. The students were allowed to stay back in the hostels. The three girl students stayed at the girls hostel with Warden Prof Mandakini Patil. Prof Patil has been cooking for them in the hostel kitchen itself. The male students have been allowed to stay in hostel behind the University’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Law College. The condition is that they will stay in different rooms. The mess contractor, who stays near the hostel has been convinced to supply tiffin to these students.
 
Officiating Registrar Dr Neeraj Khaty, when contacted stated that the University authorities understood the difficulty of the students and allowed them to stay back in the hostel rooms. Dr Khaty also stated that the enquiry about acquiring the hostel for persons quarantined on suspicion of coronavirus infection or those detected COVID19 positive. The authorities also sought information about the new Jamnalal Bajaj Administrative Building of the University. Dr Khaty met Resident Deputy Collector Ravindra Khajanji and stated that the University hostel rooms are not vacant.
 
The study material and other items of the students are lying in them. If absolutely essential the students’ baggage will have to be shifted. Secondly the first, second and third floor of the new Administrative building has very few rooms. The three floors have small and big halls as it has been designed to accommodate different administrative departments.
 
In the four storey building only ground floor has been occupied by the university, as shifting in the new building was in progress, till the announcement of the lockdown, in view of Corona Virus outbreak. Another problem is that the Administrative Building has common toilets and could be of no use as quarantine place. Fortunately Nagpur has not yet experienced community spread of Corona Virus. If people observe restraint, the university hostel or the new building may not be required by the government authorities.