Documents in Nagpur University hostel Q-centre, jobless youths in quandary

NAGPUR: Anil S (name changed), who belongs to a poor farmer's family in Gondia district, is forced to put up in the city for the last couple of days after the Nagpur University (NU) officials told him to come again on Monday.
On Friday, Anil had visited the NU registrar’s office seeking access to his brother’s original educational certificates locked up in one of 376 rooms of the lower hostel which has been converted into quarantine centre, at Law College Square.
Though he had emailed the request 15 days ago, Anil was told the ID he referred to on the NU website was incorrect. With no response over mail, he finally took the risk of travelling to Nagpur as his brother’s interview for warden’s position in an ashram shala is scheduled on July 7 at Ballarshah.
“If the quarantine centre keeps running for the next six months, are they not going to hand over documents to students?” said Senate member Prashant Dekhate who is leading several such students from different Vidarbha districts.
Mukesh (name changed), a PG student, said all hostel inmates are facing problems. “Most of us come from poor financial background. We are dependent on our parents since March. We need to earn but no one will give us a job without our documents,” he said.
Another PG student from Bhandara said that he wants to work in a pharmacy but his diploma is stuck at the hostel. “No proper instructions were given while asking us to vacate the hostels. We don’t know how our books, caste certificates, marklists, clothes, and bikes have been kept,” the student said, adding that the hostel roof leaks during monsoon.
Mukesh’s said many co-inmates are unable to download hall tickets for different exams as their details too are left behind in the hostels.
The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has taken over all the seven G+1 buildings having 12 rooms on each floor for the centre. Even NU officials are restricted to enter the premises.
Last month, two students were given special permission to access their belongings.
Warder Shyam Koretti said the premises has become contaminated and every day suspects are testing positive. “We were given very short notice to hand over the buildings. Yet, we ensured all belongings of students were safely shifted to two rooms on each floor. Though the hostel possession is with NMC, the keys of these rooms containing belongings are with us,” he said.
The NU warden said students need not worry about their documents. “We have properly tagged and packed them in bedsheets and sacks beside video recording the event,” said Koretti.
He said an application can be given through the registrar to retrieve documents. “The decision is taken at NMC commissioner level only,” he said.