Delhi | September 9, 2026
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Wednesday directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to identify land for student accommodation and prepare a plan for hostel facilities after the collapse of a paying guest building in Satya Niketan killed seven people and injured five others.
Sandhu issued the direction during a meeting with DDA officials at Lok Niwas to review options for providing alternative accommodation for students. The DDA has been asked to identify suitable land parcels for paying guest facilities and develop an actionable plan in coordination with universities.
“Directed DDA to expedite identification of suitable land parcels for PGs (paying guests), prepare an actionable plan, and engage with university officials on provisions of the new Master Plan for developing hostel facilities,” Sandhu said in a post on X.
The direction follows the collapse of a boys’ paying guest accommodation in Satya Niketan on Sunday. The incident left seven people dead and five injured, according to the report. The latest move places the availability and safety of student housing at the centre of the administration’s response.
The lieutenant governor said the accommodation plan should focus on ensuring that students have access to safe, affordable and dignified housing in Delhi. The proposed coordination with universities is intended to examine provisions under the city’s new Master Plan for developing hostel facilities.
The announcement does not specify the land parcels under consideration, the number of facilities planned, the institutions that would participate or a timeline for completing the identification exercise. It also does not set out the proposed operating or regulatory framework for the planned paying guest and hostel accommodation.
The DDA is expected to undertake the land-identification exercise and prepare the actionable plan, while university officials are to be engaged on the provisions related to hostel development. Further details will depend on the authority’s next steps and the outcome of its coordination with universities.
