JNU provides concession in service and utility charges to university students

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration has approved the recommendations of its high-level committee (HLC) of giving concession in service and utility charges to the university students. This will be the second time that the administration has decided to give a breather to the students in the proposed hostel fee hike. 

According to a HLC statement on Monday, concession of 75 per cent in utility and service charges will be given to eligible Below Poverty Line (BPL) category students bringing down the charges for them to Rs 500 per month and 50 per cent concessions to the rest of the students to bring the monthly expenditure to Rs 1,000 from Rs 2,000.

"It is expected that 75% concessions in utility and service charges to eligible BPL category students and 50% concessions to the rest will go down well with the student community and stakeholders at large," read an HLC statement. However, unlike the concession announced earlier, this time the varsity has decided to extend the benefits of the discount to general students as well.

The move comes in after the HLC, set up by the JNU administration to discuss the revised Hostel Manual and hostel charges as approved by the Executive Council (EC) on November 13, 2019, submitted its report to the Competent Authority on Monday.

"The committee scrutinized the estimated utility and service charges in the hostel, which are Rs 2000/- per month (including electricity and water charges of Rs 300) and has recommended that Rs 1000 per month may be charged, in place of Rs 2000 per month, towards utility and service charges for all the students," varsity administration said in a statement.

The revised rates will come into force from January 2020.

The JNU students have been protesting against the varsity administration`s move to hike hostel, mess and security fee, reportedly by 400 per cent. It has also limited the hostel timings. While the JNU administration later announced a 50 per cent concession for those belonging to the BPL (below the poverty line) category, the students rejected that terming it as an eyewash, and demanded a total rollback of the proposed hostel fee hike.