Jnana Bharathi Hostels crumbling infrastructure

BANGALORE: While Bangalore University (BU) might have provided temporary relief to protesting PG students by accommodating some of them in hostels, their disappointment has not come to an end. Without proper planning, students are bearing the brunt of bad infrastructure in Jnana Bharathi campus.The narrow corridors have toilets at the end, which are not cleaned and maintained. “The pipes are often broken. The corridors are always smelling, making it difficult for us to stay here,” said Narayan Swamy, a final-year MA student. He further pointed out that he shares his room with five other people. “This is how they plan. They stuff students in one small room and expect us not to complain,” he said. The doors in the men’s hostel are damaged, leaving the inmates devoid of privacy.  Mahesh, a student from Bidar, who was a part of last week’s protest for hostels during BU’s Academic Council meet, has finally got hostel accommodation. However, he is disappointed. “We hope for a homely atmosphere in University hostels, but we remain disappointed. During monsoon, water constantly drips from the roof and the toilets are unclean,” he said. Even Mahesh shares his room with five other students. “The solar heaters have not been fixed for two years now,” he added.  The PG Women’s Hostel is no different, in terms of infrastructure. With a capacity of 250 inmates, the hostel currently houses more than 320 students, and the number is expected to increase. “We are helpless. We have to accommodate students who have been recommended by important persons. Filling the rooms over the capacity takes a toll on the infrastructure,” said Puttaraju, mess manager of the hostel.  The senior block of the women’s hostel remains empty, after students suffered skin problems after the toilets were waterlogged.