Pune: Yerawada Hostel Relocation Decision Put On Hold After Student Protest

Reported by Siddhi Patil
Yerawada, 1st July 2025: The decision to shift students from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Government Boys’ Hostel in Yerawada to a facility in Vishrantwadi has been temporarily suspended following strong opposition and a hunger strike by the students. The Social Welfare Department has now announced that the relocation plan is on hold and a final decision will be taken within the next 15 to 20 days.

“Nothing is finalized yet. The decision is on hold. We are having talks about it. We will have a final idea about this issue in the next 15-20 days,” said Vishal Londhe, Assistant Commissioner for Social Welfare.

While this pause comes as a relief, the students have said they are not fully satisfied. “Our protest is not 100% successful because they have only put the decision on hold, and haven’t stopped the decision. If the original decision was to make a hostel in Vishrantwadi for 750 boys and 250 girls, why did they make two buildings with a capacity of 500?” said one of the protesting students.

Students are demanding that the government construct a separate hostel for female students rather than displacing the existing boys. They also questioned the logic of shifting students from a central location close to educational institutes to a more distant one lacking proper facilities like a study room, gym, and library.

Earlier, the administration had stated that the relocation was meant to create accommodation for female students and that concerns over distance and infrastructure were exaggerated. Londhe had also commented that administrative complications prevent co-ed arrangements and assured that a study room at Vishrantwadi will be built within two months.

However, students maintain that unless the decision is completely reversed, their protest will continue. They are also highlighting the unsafe nature of the Yerawada locality itself, questioning how it could be considered appropriate for girls when even male students have faced issues like pocket-picking and violence.

With no final resolution yet, the standoff between students and the administration continues, centering around questions of safety, planning, and fairness in public student housing policy.