A first: Ballot to decide on four-wheeler free Panjab University campus

Aarti Kapur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 2

Students’ ‘ballot’ will also be decided on a ‘four-wheeler free campus’ for the first time at Panjab University. This time, students will cast their vote on two issues during the Student Council elections. 

First issue will be to vote for the panel of the council and the second whether they want four-wheeler free campus or not.

The voting on both the issues will be held at the same time at the voting centres on the campus of all departments. This was decided by the Panjab university authorities after protest by various student parties that the campus should be made ‘vehicle free’ for the students.

Interestingly, the students who will cast their vote for the four panelists of the council will also get a ballot which has two options yes and no for the four-wheeler free campus issue. A ballot box will be placed in each department for the students to cast their votes for a ‘four-wheeler free campus’.

Panjab University Dean Student Welfare Navdeep Goyal said that the authorities would prepare a questionnaire, which would be given to all students when they come to vote for the council elections this time. He said since a number of student parties had raised the issue but there was no consensus among them, this step was being taken. 

He said that we had given a written assurance stating that a survey would be conducted by the authorities on whether there should be “four-wheeler free campus” or not along with the Student Council elections.

This time, there will be one counting centre for the Student Council elections, the votes for the issue of a four-wheeler free campus will also be counted at the same centre by the authorities. 

Recently an open discussion was organised on the issue by all student parties in which a majority of the students rejected the proposal of a vehicle-free campus as it would inconvenience the hostellers. 

Students to vote on 2 issues

First issue will be to vote for the panel of the council and the second whether they want four-wheeler free campus or not. Interestingly, students who will cast their vote for the four panelists of the council will also get a ballot which has two options yes and no for the four-wheeler free campus issue.

PU Chief Security Officer Jatinder Grover said the authorities had already installed barricades in two areas on the campus where no vehicle was allowed. In the area from Arts Block 1 to 5 and from pharmacy to music department, barricades will be installed from 10 pm to 5 am. In the area that covers girls hostel number 3 to 7, the barricades will be put up from 7 pm to 9:30 pm.