BANGALORE: Nearly 50 per cent of hostels maintained and run by Social Welfare Department in Bangalore Rural and Urban district are under-occupied. Of the 7,800 plus accommodations in 83 pre-metric and post-metric hostels set up to provide facilities for the students of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, close to 4,000 accommodations are available.
In a reality check conducted by Express, in around 20 different hostels across the city, it was found that the number of students admitted to the hostels were less than the number of students shown on records. Surprisingly, some of the hostels have been closed down long ago due to non-availability of students.
Though the hostel inmates do not complain regarding lack of facilities, the records maintained by the Department of Social Welfare show that only 50 per cent of the hostels have basic library facility and only 30 per cent have sports equipments, despite funds being earmarked every year.
“There were issues of hot water and toilet facilities earlier, but now it has been improved,” said a student of a hostel in Hoody.
In 2010-11, the department allocated `1.3 crore for each district, for maintenance and repairs works of hostels across the state. The officials agree that the situation is same across the state and they plan to improve facilities in next fiscal year.
“The fund allocation has increased three fold in the last three years and there is no dearth of funds for hostels. Two reasons that are attributed for vacancy are, first, the hostel warden’s attitude and second, the lack of facilities,” said Naveen Raj Singh, commissioner, Karnataka Social Welfare Department. “We have resolved in a meeting today to provide sports and library facility to all hostel by next year and also impart training to hostel wardens to improve their attitude,” he added.
However, deputy director of Social Welfare Department, P Nagesh said that it is the lack of will to educate children from poor Dalit families and the economic empowerment in the recent years for the students to back out of hostels.