The students of the Osmania University’s constituent colleges do not have to travel long distances to reach their respective colleges from the OU campus hostels going forward.

The news comes as a relief to students as the university administration has taken a decision to decentralise the hostel admissions for its constituent colleges. Students will be given accommodation and mess facilities in their respective constituent colleges only, starting this academic year.

Currently, students pursuing academics at Nizam College, Abids; Osmania University Post-Graduate College, Secunderabad; and Osmania University College of Science, Saifabad, are being provided accommodation in the campus hostels.

Resolving the issue, the OU administration, which has set up a new hostel for girls at Nizam College, has now proposed to construct a 300-bed hostel for boys in the college premises. According to officials, PG students who are currently residing in the OU campus hotels will be shifted to the new hostel.

Similarly, a 300-bed hostel is coming up at the University College of Science and a 250-bed capacity hostel at University PG College. Accommodation at these new hostels will not just cut down the commuting time and expenses of students but also reduce the burden on the age-old hostels on the OU campus.

“It will also reduce incidents of students’ protests on OU campus roads over issues in their respective colleges,” an official said.

Apart from new hostels in constituent colleges, the university, in collaboration with the Tribal Welfare department, has decided to construct one each 300-bed hostels for tribal boys and girls on the campus at an estimated cost of Rs 20 crore. The university and department have recently entered into a memorandum of understanding.

Last year, the university commenced the work for the construction of a 500-bed boys’ hostel for engineering students. Prior to this, a 750-bed Centenary Hostel for girls was commissioned. Currently, there are eight girls’ and 12 boys’ hostels on the campus accommodating 4,000 girls and 8,000 boys respectively.