None of 8 boys hostels in PU has all cameras functional
None of the eight boys’ hostels at Panjab University has its all cameras functional, raising security concerns. The death of an outsider in Boys Hostel No. 7 due to alleged drug overdose and illegal residents putting up in these hostels has brought the issue into the spotlight.
Hostel No. 6, which has the highest number of rooms (401) and floors (four), is home to 472 students. It has just nine cameras and three of these are non-functional. Boys Hostel No. 3, which has 280 rooms accommodating 441 students, has only six functional cameras out of 12. Hostel No. 5, which has 285 rooms and 452 residents, has the highest number of cameras (29) and seven of these are lying defunct.
The hostels on the PU campus have entries from the rear as well and it is not very tough to scale the boundary wall to gain entry into the hostel. The eight boys hostels on the campus are home to 3,416 students and with just 240 security personnel guarding the campus, fewer cameras pose a significant security concern. According to an official, the PU security is already short of 150 personnel.
As per the data procured from the university, out of 24 cameras in Hostel No. 1, 21 are functional and 20 of the 22 cameras in Hostel No. 2 are working. Out of 12 units in Hostel No. 3, only six are functional and out of 24 in Hostel No. 4, 22 are in working condition. Hostel No. 5 has 29 cameras and seven of these are non-functional. Six out of nine cameras are functional in Hostel No. 6. Of the 21 cameras in Hostel No 7, 20 are functional and 10 out of 12 in Hostel No. 8 are operational.
Commenting on the matter, Prof Amit Chauhan, Dean, Student Welfare, said, “We have asked the wardens of all hostels to ensure safety of residents and for that, they should convey their demands to us. As of now, we have not received demand of cameras from any hostel warden.”
He added that teams of wardens had been formed and they were conducting surprise checks in hostels and submitting reports of the same.
