AMU to launch 'Operation Clean-Up' to rid hostels of illegitimate occupants

Aligarh, May 16 (PTI) The Aligarh Muslim University will launch a "clean-up drive" in all its hostels to remove "illegal occupants" who have been living on the campus without permission since the Covid pandemic, varsity Protor M Wasim Ali said on Thursday.

The Proctor told reporters that from June 16 onwards, when the university closes for the summer vacation, all residents would have to remove all their personal belongings from their rooms and, in case there are some belongings which cannot be carried back home, the hostel authorities would provide a common facility of storage from which all bona fide students would be able to retrieve such belongings once they obtain fresh allotment orders.

He said the drive will be key in removing from hostels the illegitimate occupants, some of whom have reportedly been indulging in illegal activities.

Asked about similar drives not working out in the past, the Proctor said, "This time we are planning an iron-clad mechanism … and we are hopeful that such rogue elements, who unnecessarily bring a bad name to the campus, are no longer able to misuse residential facilities." AMU is primarily a residential university and there are about more than 15,000 students living in about 20 halls of residence.

Over the past couple of years, a series of violent clashes have been reported from different halls of residence.

Police investigations have invariably revealed that "almost all incidents of violence, including shooting incidents," involved outside elements, who somehow managed to take refuge in the varsity hostels.

Wasim Ali asserted that the varsity will go for a revamp and will under no circumstances allow any element with a dubious past to occupy the residential space.

He said it will "not hesitate at all to take the help of the police and the district authorities in this operation clean-up," the impact of which would become visible when the university reopens in August. PTI COR SNS VN VN