Savitribai Phule girls’ hostel occupants to be relocated to SRA tower in Bandra

Mumbai: As the government has decided to redevelop the coveted sea-facing Savitribai Phule girls’ hostel at Charni Road, it will be closed and its occupants — 450 students — will be relocated to a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) tower in Bandra. This 16-storeyed building in Bandra has 128 rooms and can accommodate around 512 girls. The report on this relocation was prepared by Varsha Andhare, hostel warden, and was submitted on Friday. As per the sources, the final meeting of the officials will be held on Saturday at Sahyadri Atithi Gruh.

On March 31, HT reported on the poor condition of the hostel building, which had structural damage, and the government’s plan to relocate the students to enable the redevelopment of the building.

Following the report, officials started scouting for an alternative location on May 19. Keshav Tupe, joint director of higher education, Mumbai division, Andhare, and other officials submitted the report on the SRA tower.

As per the report, “Four students will share a single room of 321 sq. ft. of carpet area. One floor, out of 16, will be used to house the hostel office, warden’s residence, gym, and a computer room.”

The report said, “This tower is located near Bandra railway station, BEST buses, auto services are also available, a hospital is nearby, and shops of essential commodities are also available near the tower. So, this location is suitable for the students, who have to commute for their education.”

As far as the safety of the students is concerned, the proposal suggests installation of CCTV cameras on each floor.

Amar Ekad, a student activist from Pune, was on a hunger strike for 11 days at Azad Maidan to raise his voice for these students. Ekad welcomed this report and said he hoped for positive feedback from the government on it.

Ekad said, “In 2018, students asked for the hostel building to be repaired, following which the state government did so. In 2022, the then MVA-led government sanctioned funds again to repair the hostel. But the decision was deferred. Now the education ministry says the hostel will be redeveloped.”

He said, “The minister for higher and technical education should hold a meeting with the collector of Mumbai city and provide a one-acre plot to build a new girls’ hostel with a capacity for 1,000 students.”