PU students on tour left in lurch

250 students went on (PUCSC)-organised trip to Goa even as arrangements made only for 150; girls among those stranded at Goa station.

Panjab University goofed up in making arrangements for students on an annual trip to Maharashtra and Goa, students have alleged.

More than 100 of the 250 students were reportedly stranded in Goa and Maharashtra till late evening on Wednesday night. More than 50 girls also had nowhere to go, students have claimed.

The students did not come on record but many of those contacted by Hindustan Times confirmed either they were travelling to Mumbai to get a flight or waiting for other arrangements in Goa.

Panjab University Central Students Council (PUCSC) organised the trip.

Dean Students Welfare (DSW) Navdeep Goyal could not be contacted. Vice-chancellor, AK Grover first claimed to have no knowledge of the matter, but later called back and said that that DSW was in touch with the students and overseeing arrangements.

To a question whether he would order an inquiry into the incident, he said that he would do whatever, is required as per his responsibilities.

The trip began on March 7 and so did the troubles. "We were going by Kerala Sampark Kranti Express. Only 150 seats had been booked and there were 250 students traveling on the train," alleged a student.

Some of them shifted to general compartments while others were forced to adjust with many to a seat, added.

The students reached Goa on March 9 midnight. "The four-star facility promised to us was nothing more than a small hotel and again, the numbers had not been catered to."

The students alleged that throughout the tour they stayed in very poor-quality hotels and were served atrocious food.

The students alleged that while returning back on Wednesday, they had to board a train from Madgaon. "Tickets were not confirmed for many and they were in waiting list. As all boarded the train it resulted in chaos.

Some agitated students pulled the chain and when the train was halted at the Thivim station, the Railway Protection Force detained some of us for pulling the chain and boarding train without tickets," a student said. The train was halted for one hour at the station and left at 3 pm leaving behind 150 students, whose tickets were not confirmed.

"Many of the students were also detained by the RPF for pulling chain and unauthorised travel and were released only after repeated pleas and phone calls from some politicians," another student said.
Student council president, Chandan Rana, said that arrangements were being made for the travel students stranded in Goa.

Later in the day, one of the students stranded at the station told HT that one the student council members had assured them they would be boarding a train from the Madagaon station at around 1:30 am (Thursday) till Ambala.