Congress’ deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, has written to two Union ministers urging them to address concerns raised by students from the Northeast regarding the allotment of accommodation at the Barak Hostel in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

In separate letters addressed to Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and DoNER minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Gogoi highlighted the ongoing protest by Northeastern students at JNU over the allotment process and their demand for 75 per cent reservation for students from the region.

Gogoi, who represents Jorhat in Parliament, shared the letters on his official Facebook page on Tuesday. The content of both letters was largely similar.

He stated that Barak Hostel was conceived as a “dedicated” residential facility for students from the Northeast to provide not just accommodation but also “a sense of cultural belonging and security within a vastly different socio-cultural setting.”

This vision, he said, stemmed from a collaborative understanding between the North Eastern Council (NEC), the JNU administration, and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).

The five-storey hostel, with 228 rooms and a total capacity to accommodate 446 students, has separate wings for male and female residents.

“However, the first allotment list released by the university on April 8 has raised serious concerns — only 5 out of 88 available seats were allotted to students from the Northeast,” Gogoi stated, citing his interaction with several students from the region.

The allotment process, he said, has been condemned by the North East Students’ Forum (NESF) as a breach of the original purpose and assurances tied to the hostel’s establishment.

“In light of these developments, I urge the Ministry to immediately engage with the JNU administration to review the current allotment process and address the concerns raised by the North East Students’ Forum,” Gogoi wrote.

Sources said the JNU, a central university, had signed an agreement with the North East Council (NEC) in 2016 to build a hostel which will ensure 75 per cent hostel seats for students from the Northeast and the remaining 25 per cent to non-NE students. The hostel was named Barak after a river in the Northeast.

While JNU authorities have since stated that priority is being given to students from the region, the NESF has insisted that the seat distribution must strictly adhere to the 2016 agreement.

Calling for “prompt and decisive action,” Gogoi added that a “re-evaluation of the allotment criteria, in consultation with student representatives and relevant stakeholders, is essential to restore the integrity of the hostel’s founding vision.” He also urged the education ministry to consider formally reaffirming its earlier commitment by supporting the 75 per cent reservation demand.

“Resolving this issue will help restore confidence among students from the region and reaffirm the commitment to inclusivity, equity, and regional sensitivity that should be upheld in our national institutions,” Gogoi said in his letter.