House that!

With no new hostels in place to accommodate the quota-driven student rush, PGs set to hike rentals

Apart from the students belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), the 27 per cent quota has become as huge boon to those renting their houses around the Delhi University campus.


Housefull: There is a severe space crunch in Delhi University hostels.
Only 10 affiliated colleges have their own accommodation facilities

The implementation of the quota will take the total number of the seats in the central university close to a whopping 55,000. However, only 10 colleges affiliated to the varsity have hostels to accommodate outstation students. With no space on campus the students will be going to take up rooms and flats on rent in the nearby areas and the owners are getting ready to welcome them with open arms.

"We knew that after the implementation of the quota the demand for rooms would grow. Most of the house owners have started looking for reasons to get their rented houses vacated, as they could quote double the price to the students," said Satbeer Singh, a property dealer in Kingsway Camp which is located near the North Campus.

When asked about the rents, Singh said usually a one BHK house goes for a monthly rent of Rs 7,000-8,000. "Now, the same could go up to Rs 10,000," he said.u00a0u00a0

The university is chalking out ways to strengthen the infrastructure but the colleges complain that getting approval from different regulatory offices consumes too much time. Although funds have been allocated by the Delhi University (DU) administration to construct some new hostels in the South Campus but construction work on the same is yet to be started.

Prof. Malashri Lal, joint director, DU South Campus said, "The University is expecting a huge number of outstation students and providing them with hostel facility is a great challenge. We have no information on the construction of new hostels although few meetings have taken place regarding the same."

Students would also be flocking to areas like Azadpur, Jahangirpuri and Rohini where the rent rates would be comparatively lesser, said another real estate agent. "It actually depends upon the proximity to the campus. Rentals are high at places like Kingsway Camp but here it is still not that much. Though there is not much of a difference but you can still rent a house at Rs 1,000 cheaper," said Virender Kumar, owner of Saini properties in Sector 19, Rohini.

The university last year had to adjust the extra 7,000 OBC students in temporary classrooms made out of bamboo sticks and tent. The admission procedure in DU commences from mid-June every year. Admission dates for 2010-11 are still awaited.