Chandigarh, July 15 -- Students at Punjab Engineering College (PEC) have flagged overcrowding and infrastructure lapses across the institute's hostels, citing double occupancy in poorly maintained washrooms, delayed furniture allotment, and the absence of any student body to raise these concerns formally. According to the students' representation, hostel capacity has not kept pace with a steady rise in student intake driven by the addition of new branches over the past few years. Second-year students, traditionally housed in the college's Aravali Hostel, are now being accommodated in double occupancy rooms, with an overflow batch shifted to Kurukshetra Hostel alongside third-year students. Fourth-year students, who have historically stayed in Himalaya Hostel, have this year instead been allotted rooms in Kurukshetra Hostel, including single occupancy rooms now housing two students each. Students said no official explanation was given for the change. Two newly constructed blocks in Kurukshetra Hostel remain unopened, the representation said, with no communication from the administration on when they will be made available or whether they will offer single or shared accommodation. Students also cited poor upkeep in several older hostel blocks, some over four decades old, including inadequately maintained common washrooms, floors dependent on a single shared washroom, and delays of several weeks to months in receiving basic furniture such as beds, study tables and chairs after allotment. Even after students moved into the newly constructed Kurukshetra block, functional washrooms, drinking water facilities and furniture were reportedly unavailable for a period after occupancy began. Students also observed visible cracks and other maintenance issues in the new block within months of its use. Students added that the resulting lack of individual study space has affected them during placement season, internships and final year project work, with the campus library-an alternative study space-frequently occupied by companies conducting recruitment tests and interviews during this period. Responding to the concerns, Rajesh Kumar Bhatia, PEC's director (ad-interim) said the hostel infrastructure was designed to accommodate a student strength of around 300, based on intake levels in 2003, against a current annual intake of over 900. Officials said this mismatch between sanctioned infrastructure and actual enrolment was the primary reason students were being accommodated in sharing rooms. A hostel block of nearly 300 rooms is among the projects set to be inaugurated during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's July 17 visit to the institute, which officials said is expected to ease the accommodation shortage once operational....