Unauthorised construction on Magadh Mahila College campus in Patna. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, May 15: Encroachment on premises of Patna University colleges is nothing new. But at Magadh Mahila College’s welfare hostel block, encroachers have gone on to erect 15-20 pucca houses.

These structures have been there for the past five to six years and the college administration has failed to bring down the unathorised construction and clear the space. Moreover, most of the illegal structures are near to the women’s hostel on the college campus. Though no major incident has occurred on the campus, the encroachers pose danger to girls living on the campus.

People living on the college campus also use the water and electricity supply of college and the college administration has not taken any steps to disconnect their power supply.

Dolly Sinha, the principal of Magadh Mahila College, said: “These quarters were allotted to Grade IV employees working in college. Many have retired but not vacated their quarters.”

The college administration has written letters to them to vacate their quarters but the case is sub-judice and the college administration can’t use force to evict them.

At the southern end of BN College, adjacent to Ignou centre, one can easily find government quarters being held by illegal occupants. Though these quarters have been made for the college’s Grade III and Grade IV employees, many quarters are still occupied by retired employees of the college. The college administration has tried its best to remove them from the college but has failed in its attempts.

Apart from the college quarters, many rooms of the hostel are occupied by former students but are living on the campus despite orders from the college and university administration to vacate the rooms.

The increasing public awareness against encroachment in the capital is gradually finding voice across several quarters. Now, Patna University teachers are demanding a Hathua market-type anti-encroachment drive on the varsity campus to get rid of the encroachers who have literally overrun it.

The district administration for the past few days had launched an anti-encroachment drive at Hathua market for removal of vendors and temporary stalls from Birla Mandir Road, off Khaitan market and other areas.

Patna University Teachers’ Association (Puta) general secretary Randhir Kumar Singh said: “A similar type of encroachment drive should be carried out at Patna University and more particularly at Magadh Mahila College and Darbhanga House.”