KUU to stop fresh admissions in dilapidated century-old PG hostel | Bhubaneswar News
Berhampur: Authorities of Khallikote Unitary University (KUU) here have decided to stop fresh admissions in its PG hostel for men this year due to the dilapidated condition of the building. The over 100-year-old structure, which has 28 rooms and houses around 90 students, is located near the university.“The syndicate, the decision-making body of the university, in its last meeting decided not to take fresh admissions in the hostel for 2025-26 due to its dilapidated condition,” said Geetanjali Dash, in-charge vice-chancellor of KUU. The syndicate took the decision after engineers of the Odisha State Police Housing and Welfare Corporation Limited (OSPHWC) submitted an inspection report on the building on March 19.Project manager of OSPHWC, Berhampur, stated the hostel building was very old and several cracks had developed in its roof and walls. Big trees are growing over its roof and side walls, causing cracks in the building. The report also stated it was not advisable to carry out further repair and renovation of the building.OSPHWC engineers recommended the building should be demolished and a new multi-storey hostel could be constructed as per the requirement of the university. The unsafe condition of the building would be declared by the PWD (roads and buildings) as it is the maintenance agency.“We can’t take risks by putting students in the hostel. Though PWD engineers are yet to declare the building was unsafe, we decided in principle not to take fresh admissions this year. The hostel inmates (PG second year), continue to stay there till a decision is taken to demolish the building,” the VC said.She said they wrote a letter to the superintendent engineer, roads and buildings, division-1, Berhampur, recently requesting to inspect the building and take immediate steps for the safety of boarders. “We also forwarded the report of the OSPHWC to the superintendent engineer,” she added.A hostel inmate said they apprised the authorities about the condition of the building several times. “But no step was taken to provide them alternative accommodate,” he said.
