Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday assured an NSUI delegation from Panjab University of full government support for the establishment of new hostels and a scholarship for students from the economically weaker sections of the society. The delegation was led by President Jashan Kamboj, General Secretary Vani Sood and Executive President Pargat Singh Brar of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), Panjab University Chandigarh.Congratulating the student body for its performance in the recent student union elections in Panjab University, the Chief Minister called upon the students to go for dialogue to resolve their issues. He assured them he would discuss with the university Chancellor and Vice Chancellor the issues of hostels and scholarship.The assurance came after the delegation apprised the Chief Minister of the hardships being faced by students in the absence of hostel accommodation. Demanding new hostels for boys and girls, they said more than 8000 students were availing the existing hostel facility on the campus while another 5000 were residing in private accommodations outside the university and paying hefty rents for the same.
The students requested the Chief Minister to provide an exclusive grant for construction of new hostels as the University had a chunk of land available near its campus.The delegation thanked the Chief Minister for his government’s decision to hike the grant for the university from Rs 14 crore to Rs 32 crore in the first quarter of the fiscal since taking over the state’s reins.The delegation also urged Captain Amarinder to start a scholarship for students from the economically weaker sections of the society in the name of Shaheed-E-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh.Chairman Punjab Mandi Board Lal Singh was also present at the meeting, during which the student leaders, joined by other members of the delegation, presented to the Chief Minister a picture of Shaheed-E-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary. Ex-president Pargat Singh Brar, Anant Chaudhary, Navdeep Bubby, Sukhjit Sukhoi, Jeewanjot Singh Chahal, Gursheen Kaur were among the students who joined the delegation leaders at the meeting.