Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal promised a strong fleet of university special buses and improved infrastructure in government-funded colleges to officer-bearers of Delhi University Students Union, who called on him on Saturday.
The student body in its maiden meeting with the Delhi CM also raised a host of issues including implementation of the Delhi Rent Control Act, concessional student passes in Delhi Metro and all-route bus passes to students of School of Open Learning, which is DU’s distance learning arm with nearly 4.5 lakh students.
“We submitted an eight-point memorandum of demands to the CM. He has assured us of looking into the issues raised by us including improvement of infrastructure in Delhi government funded colleges,” DUSU President Mohit Nagar said.
The ABVP-led student union also demanded a ‘compact’ North Campus, which would require the several government clearances for turning the campus into a gated community.
“We told the Delhi CM that for this the government will have to transfer the Chhatra Marg, University Road and Khalsa College-SRCC road to the Delhi University. He assured his support and said if a full proposal is brought before him, he will ensure that it is done at the earliest,” said ABVP Delhi State Secretary Saket Bahuguna, who was also part of the student delegation that met Kejriwal at the Delhi Secretariat.
A compact campus would mean regulated entry and enhanced women safety, he said. The Delhi Transport Corporation, which ran 47 buses services to connect Delhi’s suburbs to varsity colleges in 2013, has withdrawn most them, DUSU members told Kejriwal. Bahuguna said the Delhi CM has asked the student leaders to send him a list of routes where the bus services are required.
The seven-member delegation which met the Delhi CM included DUSU’s president, vice-president, joint secretary and secretary.