Anna University to turn into 2,000-bed Covid care centre

Anna University to turn into 2,000-bed Covid care centre

Students Likely To Be Allowed To Take Belongings From Hostel Rooms

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:22.06.2020

With the number of Covid-19 cases rapidly increasing in Chennai, the Greater Chennai Corporation plans to turn Anna University into a 2000-bed Covid care centre.

The four hostels in College of Engineering, Guindy, (CEG) campus and an auditorium may be converted into Covid care centres after allowing the students to take their belongings from hostel rooms, sources added.

Greater Chennai Corporation sent a notice to Anna University asking the university administration to hand over hostel facilities by June 20.

But the university authorities, citing the concerns raised by students, told the officials that the university cannot break open the rooms where students have kept their academic projects like thesis work and valuables like laptops.

During the talk, the university authorities agreed to give the hostel rooms if the corporation let the students take their belongings from hostel rooms.

The university has provided space for a 650-bed quarantine facility at Knowledge Park and the postgraduate hostel on the campus.

In a response to students' anxious queries, E Natarjan, dean of the college, sent a communication on Sunday to all hostel students that the corporation will arrange travel for students to collect their belongings.

“In case your room is demanded for the purpose, we will share contact details of the hosteliers to the officials of corporation. You will hear from the Corporation of Chennai about the arrangements made by them for you to travel to collect the baggage. Either you can come in person or depute a guardian or authorize anyone, through whom you can send the room keys,” the dean stated in the letter.

“As a show of solidarity, the vice-chancellor appeals to all students to join our government in providing much needed accommodation by vacating their rooms temporarily in the time of this great crisis,” he further said in the letter.

There are more than 4000 students staying in more than 15 hostels. Each room houses four students and they left in a hurry when the college was closed in March.