Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has ordered the construction of 19 working women’s hostels in different parts of the State, to provide affordable and safe accommodation for the rising number of educated women who have to move to other cities and towns for employment. The hostels are expected to house around 1,000 women. Jayalalithaa allocated money for the construction of the hostels and their rent in the intermediate period and created posts to run the hostels.
The State government at present runs eight working women’s hostels under the Social Welfare Department. Two of these hostels are in Chennai, while Cuddalore, Tiruchy, Pudukottai, Madurai, Dharmapuri and Thoothukudi districts have one each. Six set to come up in Chennai district, three in Kancheepuram district and one each in Tirupur, Perambalur, Villupuram, Vellore, Coimbatore, Tiruchy, Thirunelveli and Sivaganga districts.
Each of these hostels is to be constructed at a cost of Rs 1.01 crore, bringing the total bill to Rs 19.19 crore. Jaya also ordered the allocation of Rs 2.4 lakh per hostel for annual rent during the period that the new buildings are being constructed. A sum of Rs 21.6 lakh has been set aside for recurring and non-recurring expenditure. She created eight posts to serve at each of the 19 hostels, from wardens to cooks and cleaners. She gave the sanction for Rs 23.75 crore for all of these.