Outstation students, who have managed to get themselves a seat in Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology ( ) despite high admission cut-offs, have another hurdle to cross __ finding accommodation.
Most colleges under OUAT have a limited number of seats in their hostels. This is proving to be a bigger impediment to students and their parents, already unnerved by the admission procedure.
The lone agriculture university in the State has nine hostels. Of these nine, three have been allotted to the varsity’s girl students, whose number is rising by each passing year.
The College of Agriculture, College of Veterinary, College of Home Science and College of Agriculture Engineering and Technology are residential.
Hostel facility for College of Basic Science & Humanities was discontinued a few years ago and there is no residential provision for those pursuing self-financing PG courses at the Centre of Post-Graduate Studies (CPGS).
Students, particularly those taking admission in colleges in Bhubaneswar, are the worst hit as the other colleges at Chiplima, Bhawanipatna and Rangeilunda (Berhampur) have adequate accommodation facilities.
It is mostly the agriculture and forestry students who are facing hostel problem as the number of seats in these courses have been increased. At present, while boys, in the undergraduate courses, have been accommodated in hostel No.9, girls are being put up in dorms, meant for guests, in the girls’ hostels.
Hostel No.9 was earlier used to accommodate Basic Science & Humanities students, but it was shut down after residential facilities for this college was discontinued.
“Provision should be made to allot one room for two or three students,” said a student leader, requesting anonymity. In other cases, students are having to fork out Rs 3,500 to Rs 6,000 to stay in lodging and PG facilities near the varsity.
Vice-Chancellor D P Ray said while construction of one more girls’ hostel is going on, the Indian Council for Agricultural Research has been moved for financial allocation for a few more hostels.