Time for facelift: Anundo Ram Barooah boys’ hostel of Cotton College

April 27: What is common between them — Asam Sahitya Sabha president Kanak Sen, power minister Pradyut Bordoloi, author Yese Daraji Thangsi, state education minister Ripun Bora and health and family welfare minister Himanta Biswa Sarma? All these men have lived as boarders in Cotton College hostel.

The present scenario of the hostels of the century-old Cotton College, however, tells a different story. There has been a decline in the number of students preferring to stay in the college hostels. Alarmed by the thinning number, the college has decided to set up a model hostel with modern infrastructure and facilities.

Cotton College principal Indra Kumar Bhattacharyya said there is no denying the fact that the condition of the hostels has deteriorated in the recent years and the college was not in a position to improve the condition to attract students.

However, under the 12th Finance Commission, the college has received Rs 7 crore to renovate the existing hostels.

Under the plan, the existing Assam-type buildings of two boys’ hostels — Anundo Ram Barooah and Swahid Ranjit Borpujari — will be dismantled to construct a three-storey building.

The building will accommodate 300 boarders and have all the modern facilities.

“The existing hostels can accommodate 200 boarders. The capacity will go up once the new building is constructed. The new hostels will have facilities, including a dinning hall, space for indoor games and entertainment. There will no overcrowding in rooms. Every room will have proper bed and furniture and accommodate two boarders,” Bhattacharyya said.

The college has seven boys’ hostels and three girls’ hostels. The conditions of most of the hostels are in a deplorable state.

The members of Cotton College Union Society last year resorted went on a hungerstrike in protest against the pathetic conditions of the hostels.

They alleged that many boarders suffer from jaundice and other ailments because of the poor quality of meals and drinking water in these hostels.

The college authorities also plan to incorporate a re-creation room, study room, library, internet cafe, gym, medical facility and uninterrupted water and power supply and strong security for the hostels.

“Hostel life for Cottonians is very important and we are making all possible efforts to create a homelike atmosphere in the hostels. Girls’ hostels will also get preference in the modernisation project,” Bhattacharyya said.

The Mahendra Nath Deka Phukan (MNDP) hostel also known as Double Storied (DS) hostel has been renovated since this building was considered prone to earthquakes. The hostel will launch its own website tomorrow highlighting its glorious past.