New DUSU panel visits Satya Niketan after building collapse

Newly elected Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) office-bearers affiliated with the ABVP on Monday visited Satya Niketan to pay homage to those who lost their lives in the building collapse earlier this month and pledged to raise issues concerning students’ safety and accommodation.

The DUSU president, secretary and joint secretary visited ‘Satya Square’ around 4.30 pm, two days after the results of the university’s student body elections were declared. According to an ABVP statement, the newly elected representatives assured students that the union would work throughout the year to address concerns related to accommodation, rents, basic amenities and safety in Satya Niketan and surrounding areas. The representatives also called for concrete measures to prevent similar incidents in the future and accountability from the authorities. The visit came after the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) won three of the four central panel posts in the DUSU elections, securing the positions of president, secretary and joint secretary.

ABVP Delhi State Secretary Sarthak Sharma said the election victory marked the beginning of the union’s accountability towards students. “Satya Niketan is the heartbeat of South Campus students, yet they constantly grapple with issues regarding accommodation and basic amenities,” Sharma was quoted as saying in the statement.  He said the organisation would raise students’ concerns before the university administration. Dabas said the visit was not merely a formality and pledged that DUSU would work to address arbitrary rents, inadequate amenities and security concerns. He also said the union would take steps towards implementing the Room Rent Regulation Act, strengthening security measures and safeguarding students’ legal rights, according to the statement.

The September 6 building collapse had raised concerns over the safety of private accommodation used by Delhi University students. The ABVP said the newly elected representatives would work to ensure that similar incidents do not recur.