New Delhi, Sept 8: Actor Sonu Sood has called for safe and affordable accommodation for students in cities following the Satya Niketan building collapse in Delhi, which claimed seven lives and raised concerns over construction standards and safety compliance.
Sood highlighted the challenges faced by students who leave their homes every year to pursue education and career opportunities in other cities, stressing that they must have access to safe places to live.
“Every year, lakhs of students leave their homes to chase a dream in another city. But are we giving them a safe place to live?” Sood said in a post.
Pointing to the shortage of hostel facilities in Delhi, Sood said around seven lakh students are enrolled in the national capital, while hostel capacity is estimated at only about 30,000. This means only around one in every 31 students has access to hostel accommodation.
Also Read: Satya Niketan building collapse: FIR claims owners built upper floors despite knowing structural load limits
He stressed the need for greater focus on providing students with safe, affordable and adequate housing facilities, particularly in cities with large student populations. “In Delhi, around 7 lakh students are enrolled, while hostel capacity is barely 30,000 -- just 1 in 31 gets a hostel. Why not identify vacant government land around universities and allow/build safe, affordable student hostels there? Universities could also be given additional building permissions to create more on-campus accommodation,” he added.
Sood suggested identifying vacant government land around universities and allowing or building safe and affordable student hostels on such land. He also proposed giving universities additional building permissions to create more on-campus accommodation.
“Students get safety. Parents get peace of mind. Universities and governments generate revenue. And, most importantly, we protect lives. Sometimes, a small change in policy can protect someone’s biggest dream,” he shared.
The Satya Niketan building collapse triggered a large-scale rescue operation and raised questions over construction and safety compliance. The death toll in the incident has risen to seven, while 12 people have been rescued, according to Delhi Police.
Meanwhile, the Duty Magistrate of Patiala House on Monday night remanded Mahesh Gupta to two days' police custody.
His parents, Hariram Gupta and Urmila Gupta, have been remanded to judicial custody. They were produced at the residence of the duty magistrate late at night.
They have been arrested in connection with the Satya Niketan Building collapse case in which seven people lost their lives after a five-storey building collapsed on September 6.
Duty Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Bhavya Karhail passed the order of remand after hearing the submissions of Delhi police and defence counsel Yashpal Singh.
According to Delhi Police, the building’s electricity connection was in Hariram Gupta’s name, while his son was handling its management. The property was registered in the name of Hariram’s wife, Urmila Gupta. (ANI)
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