The Indian Express | 4 days ago | 22-06-2022 | 11:45 am
As college admissions have begun for undergraduate and postgraduate courses, outstation students, who stayed away from the city for the last two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and are set to return to campus life once again, now face a huge challenge; the rising living costs.From shutting down of a few budget hostels to higher rent at paying-guest (PG) flats to mess facilities becoming costlier to more out-of-pocket expenses, the living budgets of outstation students have shot up considerably after the pandemic.Nagpur resident Srishti Wahie, a third-year student pursuing BCom Honours from Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce, lives within the college hostel and eats meals there. Before the pandemic, the monthly hostel and mess fees were Rs 6,670 and Rs 2,500 respectively, which have now been revised to Rs 7,100 and Rs 3,000. “It may seem nominal (the rise) but actually all other costs have gone up. After the pandemic, even eating one meal outside in a restaurant is so expensive. Travelling by cab or auto is costly. Earlier, I used to manage on a monthly allowance of Rs 3,000, now my parents have to send Rs 4,500 to manage the same expenses.”Shruti Surve, a B Tech (computer science) student who graduated in 2022 from MKSSS Cummins College for Women, said: “Our hostel stopped providing breakfast after the pandemic, hence I had to go outside every day. Outside, breakfasts cost Rs 20 per day. The cost of my personal expenses also increased.”Latur resident Isha Ayachit, who graduated in B Tech (IT) from MKSSS Cummins College for Women, Karve Road, said: “Before Covid-19, it was relatively easy for us to manage monthly expenses. But things changed for the worse after the pandemic broke out because a lot of families faced financial losses. At the same time, small businesses like street food joints faced major losses too. They increased their prices. For example, snacks which used to cost Rs 15 now cost Rs 20. It may seem like a minor increase, but after Covid-19, many people lost their parents. It was hard for them to ask for money from their families. Especially the third and fourth-year students, who now faced the pressure to work hard and support their families. The college fees were not reduced for us. People who were already struggling to pay fees found it extremely hard to manage the increased living costs.”Meanwhile, business owners said that they have no choice but to pass on the burden of rising costs to the students. Ashutosh Pandey, the owner of Prince Premium which has three hostels located at Senapati Bapat Road, Fergusson College and Deccan, said: “Everything was shut during the pandemic. We were paying out of our own pockets to save our rented property. There has been no real change in cost currently, in fact, we reduced the security deposit of two months to that of one month or not taken at all if the parents could not pay. Earlier, the cost/head used to start from Rs 5,000, and go up to a maximum of Rs 10,000 depending on the room. But as per our rental agreement, a 10-15 per cent increase in the rent is due. Hence, for the upcoming academic year starting in July, students will be charged higher to meet the higher rent expenses. Yet, parents are apprehensive about paying upfront since they believe if the Covid cases rise again, they will have to vacate the rooms. Hence the market has not been the same as before the pandemic yet.”At Kadiri mess on Paud Road, a popular monthly mess facility opted by students, the establishment delivers tiffins to students at Rs 65 per tiffin. Owner Rahul Kadiri said: “The establishment is 20 years old. Till February 2020, one unlimited thali used to cost Rs 50, but after we reopened in 2021, with the relaxation of the lockdown, the rate was increased to Rs 65 per thali. Because of inflation in the last two years, charging Rs 65 is the same as Rs 50. If we take into account the labour and cost of groceries used, we can maintain a barely 20 per cent margin which we otherwise would not have if we kept the price the same. Before the pandemic, we would not take into account the operational costs and profits in strict numbers, since business was good. But, now we have to since business is tougher now.”At the Sahastrabuddhe mess, where the monthly cost for one is Rs 1,300, up from Rs 1,100-1,200 last year.
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