PG accommodation rates climb as DU sees record number of applications

“We are forced to increase the fees because of the overall inflation. The cost of all amenities — from electricity to water,gas cylinders and basic commodities — has risen. Contractors manage the hostel mess. Two years back,the mess bill was around Rs 1,800 per month. Now,it has gone up to Rs 2,400,” Manasvini Yogi,who teaches Philosophy at IP College,said.

The owners of paying guest accommodations have taken the lead and increased their rates too. I P Sahni,who owns three hostels on Mall Road,BD Estate and Vijay Nagar,said: “We have increased our charges by five per cent this year. In our budget hostels,the monthly rent is between Rs 7,500 and Rs 9,000. At Mall Road hostel,however,the charges go up to

Rs 14,000. This is because we provide better facilities there. Also,the hostel is close to the Metro station.”

Property dealers in the area around North Campus,on the other hand,attribute the rise in accommodation costs to the Commonwealth Games.

“At the time of the Commonwealth Games,a number of colleges asked their students to vacate the hostels. Their was a huge rush for PG accommodations. As a result,there was an exponential increase in rent. PG owners who were charging Rs 5000 earlier started charging as much as Rs 9,000,” Anshul,from Shri Ram Properties,said.

But even after the Commonwealth Games,the accommodation charges did not come down,even though several colleges opened new hostels. “The cost did not come down even after the Commonwealth Games were over. On an average,the charges have increased at 10 per cent annually,” Anshul said.