In a protest against not providing safe accommodation to women in the Government Medical College, Ernakulam, residents of the men’s hostel on Friday stopped renovation work at the hostel that was aimed at dividing the premises to accommodate the women students who will by September 1.
A student at the hostel told The Hindu that the current women’s hostel is located near the casualty wing of college while the men’s hostel is further away.
With new students joining the college, the Principal Dr. Praveen Lal K. had ordered to divide the men’s hostel to accommodate the women, said the student.
The work involves only a grill across the building to separate two areas. The students worry that any untoward incident would lead to the residents of the men’s hostel facing flak, said the student.
Principal Dr. Lal told The Hindu that the decision to accommodate the women after renovating the men’s hostel was taken at a recent meeting with officials.
However, with space constraints in other buildings, the new students will have to find accommodation off-campus, he said.
