Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 29 September 2023
Member of Parliament representing the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, has once again highlighted the critical shortage of hostel accommodation for girl students at JNRM and ANCOL, prompting a response from the Chief Secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration.
In a meeting held on September 27, 2023, the Member of Parliament conveyed his concerns to the Chief Secretary, urging the expedited completion of two girls’ hostels currently under construction within the JNRM and ANCOL campuses. The aim is to provide safe and sufficient accommodation for girl students hailing from various remote parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in Port Blair.
Mr. Sharma pointed out that the construction of a 125-bed hostel at the JNRM girls’ campus is nearly 90% complete, while a 100-bed hostel within the ANCOL campus stands at approximately 85% completion. Despite these advanced stages of construction, the projects have yet to be finalised and made accessible to students, causing undue stress and inconvenience to new girl students from remote islands.
“The delay in making these hostels available is causing undue hardship to our young female students from remote islands,” Mr. Sharma emphasised during the meeting.
In response, the Chief Secretary assured the Member of Parliament of the administration’s commitment to swiftly address this issue. He pledged to take immediate action to ensure that girl students have access to safe and comfortable hostel accommodation at Port Blair.