Opening in March: 500-bed hostel for N-E women

The six-storeyed working women’s hostel for Northeastern women has been built by the Ministry of Women and Child Development on land purchased from the DDA. Besides provisions for sports such as badminton,the hostel will have amenities such as a common room,dining hall,lobbies on each floor,a sick room and a guest room. Of the 193 rooms in the building,167 would be given out on rent. Each room has a balcony,a toilet and a bathroom that can be shared by three girls. The ministry is also providing three beds,three tables,three chairs and three almirahs in each room. There are five sets of stairs and two elevators in the building,and the main lobby would have a reception counter.

“Construction began on January 2009 and most of the work has been completed. We have purchased furniture,which we will start putting in place before the inauguration,” said an official of the construction company.

The ministry is planning to post advertisements for the hostels in popular newspapers,so women can start living in the hostel from the day of the inauguration. However,no forms have been brought out so far and the women will have to wait for a few more days before they can apply.

However,some Northeastern women in the city have expressed reluctance over shifting to the hostel as Jasola happens to be far from their workplaces. Most of them reside in Safdarjang,Moti Bagh,Munirka and Mahipalpur in South Delhi,and Indra Vihar,Dhakka,Mukherjee Nagar and Kingsway Camp in North Delhi.

Rige Shiba (23),an Archaeological Survey of India employee hailing from Arunachal Pradesh,says she will not move to Jasola as her work requires her to stay near Central Delhi. “Jasola does have Metro connectivity but I will end up spending too much time commuting,” she said.

However,Jasmine Rupini from Tripura said that she might shift to the hostel if the rent is affordable. “At present,I share a two-room apartment with two other girls and so my monthly expense is not much. If the new hostel can give me food and accommodation for less than that,I might shift,” she said,adding that people working in Noida may find Jasola more suitable.

The total cost of construction has come up to Rs 17 crore. While hostel fee estimates haven’t been announced yet,sources say it will depend on the earnings of the inmates.