HC refuses to urgently hear plea seeking more DU hostels amid PG collapse row: 'Unnecessarily you waste your own time'

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to urgently hear a petition seeking directions to the Delhi University to provide hostels at each college. The court declined to list the petition urgently noting that a PIL on the issue had already been filed.

A view of residential buildings and paying guest (PG) accommodations in the Satya Niketan area, where electric meters, wiring and other utility installations are seen exposed. (Sanchit Khanna/HT)The plea was filed amid outrage over a building collapse in Delhi's Satya Niketan.

The establishment that crumbled was a boys' PG and the tragedy left seven people dead, including 5 students. Follow live updates here. “One PIL has already been filed. Tomorrow it will come. Unnecessarily you waste your own time.

Can by way of an interim direction such a directive be issued?," the court said. The matter was mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, with the lawyer seeking its listing on Tuesday.

The bench said that the plea would be listed on its own on Wednesday, September 9. The absence of affordable on-campus housing at colleges under Delhi University are one of the biggest reasons why Paying Guest (PG) accomodations have seen a boom in the capital.

While there are hostels available at some colleges, they are unable to meet the demand, hence pushing students from across India into private accommodation. As stated in an earlier HT report, data from five colleges shows that their official hostel capacities do not cover even 5% of their student strength.

For example, Miranda House, Kirori Mal College (KMC), Hindu College, Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) and Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) have around 6,000, 5,500, 4,500, 3,350 and 5,000 students, respectively, but their hostels accommodate only 360 girls, 180 boys, 170 girls, 280 students and 150 girls, respectively.

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