Chandigarh, June 20 -- The Punjab government has kicked off the construction of a seven-storey working women's hostel in Mohali as part of a broader initiative to provide safe and affordable accommodation for women employed away from their hometowns. Punjab social security, women and child development minister Baljit Kaur inaugurated the project at Sector 66, Mohali, on Thursday in the presence of MLA Kulwant Singh. According to the minister, the hostel is being built at an estimated cost of Rs.70 crore and will accommodate 484 working women upon completion --likely by March next year. The project is being executed by the public works department. The proposed hostel will offer a mix of single-occupancy, double-occupancy and dormitory accommodation. Facilities such as a creche for children accompanying residents and indoor recreational spaces have also been planned. Dr Baljit Kaur said the Mohali project is part of a larger programme under which five working women's hostels are being developed across Punjab. Besides the Sector 66 facility, two other hostels are under construction in Mohali - one at NIFT, Phase 1, with a capacity of 150 women and another in Sector 79 with accommodation for 100 women. The department is also constructing hostels for 100 women in Jalandhar and 150 women in Amritsar. The minister said the facilities would offer accommodation at affordable rates to reduce the housing burden on women working away from home. She added that a hostel for 100 women is already operational in Bathinda through a rented building, and similar arrangements could be considered in other districts depending on demand....