Bhubaneswar, June 17: Utkal University is set to provide more room for female students from this academic session keeping in view the increasing number of applications by girls.

The construction of a 120-bed hostel called Ladies Hostel No. VI is complete and the furnishing would be done soon,” said P.K. Sarkar, chairman of the university’s PG council.

“Girls have outnumbered boys at Utkal. Therefore, with funds from the University Grants Commission (UGC), we have constructed a new hostel for them. The furnishing would be done soon and allotment would be made from this year onwards,” Sarkar said.

With this new accommodation facility, the total number of hostels at the university now stands at 12 – equally divided between boys and girls. “Girls comprise 70 per cent of the students in the university. Although we know their hostels are very crowded, it was difficult to ensure accommodation for each and every girl applying for hostel facility,” said the PG council chairman.

The rooms are generally single or double-seaters. But sometimes, the boarders have to join two cots to accommodate a third student, Sarkar said. “There is also a dormitory facility but even that is over-crowded. The new hostel would definitely be a relief for them,” he added.

Of all the girls’ hostels, the last one to be constructed was the Ladies Hostel No. V, popularly known as “502 Ladies’ Hostel”, nearly a decade ago. “It was constructed in phases and became fully operational in 2005-06. At present, it can accommodate 502 students, hence the name,” said D.C. Pal, senior assistant at the PG central office.

Pal said this hostel was being allotted to girls applying for self-financing courses. The monthly fee would be Rs 60 for single-seater rooms and Rs 35 for double-seater ones. The rate is marginally higher for students putting up at the “502 hostel”. The meal prices are also lower in the canteens of the girls’ hostels.

University sources said since there are surplus seats in the boys’ hostels, outsiders often come and stay there. The hostels for girls and boys are located in separate areas. So a boys’ hostel cannot be vacated and allotted to the girls.

Apart from the lack of space in girls’ hostels, water supply is a major concern which needs to be addressed by the university authorities, an official said.