Bugged by illegal occupants,varsity goes for ‘pest control’

While each room is allowed to house one guest,officials and students feel that the issue of unauthorised guests is what the entire system is grappling with. Speaking about the fee structure,officials said a maximum amount of Rs 1,200 is paid by a student for a period of six months. However for a guest,the fee is a little less as he or she is not entitled to facilities like a bed,a table or a

cupboard.

B R Shejwal,chief rector of the UoP,said,“We have been aware of this problem for quite a few years now. But so far we have not been able to come up with a solution — the reason being the lack of security,especially for the boys’ hostel. We have been been able to curb it in the girls’ hostel since there is only one entry gate with tight security checks. Also,we conduct regular inspections,including checking of identity cards. As the boys’ hostels are spread across a larger area,with each hostel building having a separate entry gate,monitoring becomes a problem.”

A few of the ways in which students have been flouting the norms,according to some officials,include entering the hostels after the daily rounds have been taken by the wardens,or passing off the illegal occupants as their relatives who have come to visit them for a day or two,when questioned by authorities.

Students have not complained because of peer pressure and also to support classmates. While there are quite a few students from far-flung areas and economically weaker backgrounds who genuinely need the hostel facilities,a large number of unauthorised students,who have already completed their courses,continue to misuse the infrastructure.

“I have finished my two-year post graduation course in 2009. But even after that I’ve continued to stay in the hostel as I’m unable to afford the accomodation expenses outside the campus,while I’m looking for a job. So far my friends have co-operated and I’ve never faced any major difficulty,” said one such “unauthorised occupant” on condition of anonymity.

While many students help such people,there are a few who feel that the resources are being misused and other rightful occupants are caused inconvenience. Mangesh Deshpande (name changed),a student staying in the hostel,said,“Rooms that have capacity to accommodate three,at times end up having six people,while the rooms allow only one guest. Such a

situation creates a problem for us.”