Entire campus of the NIT Hamirpur declared as the Mini containment zone

January 7, 2022 admin

Following detection of about eighty-one students of the NIT, Hamirpur as Corona positive during the last two days, the Sub Divisional Magistrate, Hamirpur has declared the entire campus of the NIT (National Institute of Technology), Hamirpur as the Mini containment zone. The SDM in his order stated this, saying further that it has been brought to the notice of the undersigned by the Health Authorities of District Hamirpur that the positive cases of COVID-19 have been detected in this Sub Division and whereas, there is an imminent risk of spreading COVID-19 in the surrounding detected area, which may cause sudden hike of corona cases in this Sub Division.
The strict measures are to be required to prevent the spreading of virus in the area, which if not taken immediately may cause danger to health and safety of the humans. Therefore, incompliance to office order issued by the District Magistrate, Hamirpur, in exercise of the power vested in him under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, has ordered complete sealing of the area.

He has issued orders that under no circumstances ingress/egress any personal vehicle except the officers/officials vehicles on Government duty will be allowed in the above notified areas with the prior permission of the undersigned. Moreover, there will be no relaxation in curfew imposed on any shops or banks within the entire above notified area till further orders. The essential goods like milk, groceries, vegetables, pharmaceutical, gas supply will be allowed in the above notified areas with the prior permission of the SDM, Hamirpur. No one will leave their homes or move on foot or by vehicles or travel or roam around or stand on any road or public places in the above referred notified area of the Bharnang Gram Panchayat ward till further orders.
This order will come into force with immediate effect till further orders. Meanwhile, the sampling of the students and staff of the institution continued for the second day today. A spokesman of the HP Health Department told us that the situation was complicated in the campus and as such the vaccination work for the students of the NIT would be undertaken till normalcy returned there.
On the other hand, a number of students have started their back journey to their homes along with their parents in view of the fast spreading of the Corona activities in Hamirpur in general and NIT campus area in particular. Meanwhile, one of the senior students of the NIT has sent a letter to the local media highlighting their problems and stating that the college called us on campus in September, 2021 and it was a compulsion, not a choice.
We were asked to pay Hostel fees of 30,150/- for 3 months left for the semester (before COVID it was around 18,000/- for the whole semester). All the PG Scholars and PhD Scholars came to college in September itself. Similarly, we were asked to stay confined inside the campus only and we were
following all the Covid protocols. There was not even a single case of Covid till our college came out with a notice on 24th December, 2021.
Later on, our college administration asked 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st years of UG to come and report in college. After the New Year, it was pretty evident that the cases are rising in the country and they still didn’t cancel the reporting of UG students. All the 4th, 3rd and 2nd year students came to college with their guardians and a lot of crowd gathered for 3 4 days in our college. During all this, a lot of people came out to be positive for Covid and the situation became critical.
This led to panic in the college and the College administration came out with another notice on January 5, 2022 asking UG students to vacate the hostels with immediate effect. All the UG students were asked to pay hostel fees of 15,000/- for even keeping their belongings in the hostels and leave from the college. Even the people reached on January 5 were asked to pay 15,000/ hostel fees to keep their stuff before leaving.
He has demanded a high level probe into the entire mess saying that this could have been avoided had the students been called in small groups rather in groups.. The NIT administration refused to say anything on the issue but one of the senior officers claimed that they were busy to clear the situation that has arisen due to the Corona pandemic.