PUNE: The much-awaited hostel project in Pune Cantonment Board’s (PCB) jurisdiction, which was specially meant for working women, has now been completed. Pune’s first working women’s hostel situated in Modikhana area of Camp will start functioning from November 1.
The PCB has completed the Rs 7-crore hostel project in less than eight months. The foundation stone of the hostel was laid on March 25, 2017 and the completion duration was 18 months. The project is marked under Smart Cantonment Project. From the total cost of construction of the hostel, 75 per cent was borne by the Ministry of Women and Child Development while the remaining 25 per cent was funded by the Ministry of Defence.
The three-storey building can accommodate 96 women and will have 48 rooms under twin-sharing system. There will be a warden’s residence in the premises as well. The hostel will provide facilities such as canteen, medical facility, 24-hour security guard and CCTV cameras. There will also be a child day-care centre, which will accommodate 25 children while their mothers are at work. Hostel Management committee has also been formed consisting of representatives from the Women and Child Development Department (WCD) and Collector’s Office, besides two members from PCB. It also offers facilities such as pantry, recreation room, fully-furnished kitchen, open gymnasium and a yoga room.
Applications have been received from women hailing from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, working in government and private sectors, including software firms.
DN Yadav, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PCB, said, “Working women find it difficult to get accommodation at cheaper rates in the city, which is safe and secure as well. This new hostel, which is first of its kind in Pune, will help them pay the monthly rent of the hostel at its minimum. As per WCD rules, the occupants will have to pay 10 per cent of their total salary as monthly rent.”
Yadav added, “The only hurdle in this is that, as per WCD rules, only women earning less than Rs 30,000 salary are to be given admission. This is the reason for the hostel management committee selecting only 22 out of 24 applicants. I am going to write to the Ministry to increase the bracket and allow admissions of working women who earn more than Rs 50,000 per month.”
“There are six-armed security personnel at two gates of the hostel,” Yadav said.
