‘2 hostels of University of Gour Banga to get operational soon, construction over’

malda: The students of the University of Gour Banga (UGB) have reasons to cheer.

The two newly-constructed boys’ and girls’ hostels will become functional after the exams are over. A total of 300 (150 each for male and female students) can be accommodated in the hostels. The construction work of the buildings and furniture installation is complete.

Dr Apurba Chakraborty, Registrar, UGB, said: “We are going to open up the hostels for the students very soon. Almost everything except the admission procedure of the students to the hostel has been completed.” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had virtually inaugurated the two hostels on January 31 from Gazole during a benefit distribution programme.

After a long wait, the students are happy that finally the hostels will be functional on the campus of UGB. Students from adjacent districts of Malda, North and South Dinajpur will be largely benefitted from the boarding facility on the university campus.

UGB was established in 2008. Although the university building had come up, there was no hostel facility until now.

Two hostels were temporarily rented by the university in English Bazar Municipality area. Students coming from other districts used to stay there. However, the temporary hostels were shut down owing to the Covid pandemic. Moreover, the temporary hostels were far away from the university.There were not enough rooms to accommodate the students seeking boarding facilities. Students from outside the district were staying in rented houses.

It was a long standing demand of the students that hostel facilities be offered on the campus.

Finally, funds were allocated for the construction of the hostels for the university. The two hostels were built at a cost of Rs 9 crore.

Sayani Sarkar, a post graduate student of History department and former general secretary of PG committee of the students union, said: “It’s a great relief for the students, especially the females, of our university who come from other places that the hostels are being opened up. They can now stay on the campus and focus more on studies.”