Edu dept seeks report on CU hostel beam fall

Kolkata: The state higher education department has requested a report from Calcutta University after a wooden slab from the ceiling fell on an empty bed at the CU ladies' hostel in Beadon Row early on Friday morning. Higher education department sources said a letter would be sent to the university next week.A wooden beam in room number 17 on the first floor of the PG Lady Students' Hall at Beadon Row collapsed onto an empty bed belonging to a final-year PG student who was fortunately not present at that moment. Two other boarders in that room were affected when dust from concrete and wood fell on them. After the incident, university engineers visited the site, and renovation work will be undertaken soon by a govt agency. A higher education department official told TOI, "This is a very serious matter about which we will ask for a report from the university next week."On Saturday, several boarders were seen leaving the hostel with their luggage. Krishna Roy, a Bengali final-year PG student and All India Democratic Students' Organisation's president of the College Street campus unit, who was in the adjacent room, said, "I heard something heavy fall from the ceiling and immediately came out of my room, which is next to it. The building is 170 years old and has not been maintained properly."Calcutta University's interim vice-chancellor Santa Datta Dey said, "Arrangements have been made in some rooms at the PG hostel at Viharilal College and the guest house at Ballygunge to shift the students from the hostel. However, some of the girls do not want to shift as they have exams from June 24 and prefer to stay in the same neighbourhood as it is closer to the university." Boarders have been relocated to six other CU hostels.A university source said the hostel operates in a rented building, and the authorities will seek legal advice before initiating repair work.