BENGALURU: The ankle-deep sewage water stagnating inside the compound of the pre-matric girls hostel in Mangaluru, in Yelburga taluk in Koppal district, due to lack of underground drainage (UGD), had reflected the neglect of hostels run by social welfare department across the state.The New Indian Express, which had access to the report submitted by Koppal DLSA to Karnataka State Legal Services Authority, had highlighted the pathetic plight of the hostel on August 27.
At the monthly Karnataka Development Programme meeting held recently, Yelburga BJP MLA Achar Halappa Basappa took officials to task for not paying attention to the well being of inmates in the hostel. Yelburga taluk social welfare officer in turn blamed Karnataka Land Army Corporation Ltd for delaying UGD works.
The unhygienic surroundings in the hostel had shocked Koppal District Legal Services Authority Member secretary, who visited the hostel a month ago. The Judicial officer was left seething in anger when he was informed that due to unhygienic conditions, absence of electric bulbs, and water in toilets, 120 girl students in the hostel were forced to defecate in the open.
Koppal Social Welfare Department Deputy Director Narataj told TNIE that the SWD commissioner had sanctioned `30 lakh to construct a UGD to ensure that sewage water does not stagnate in the compound. The remaining money will be spent on replacing roof-tiles, wall-tiles and laying cobblestones in the area where once sewage water was stagnating.
‘Will ensure unauthorised inmates are evicted’
“Within 48 hours, I will ensure that the Social Welfare Department Commissioner releases a circular to all wardens of hostels, run by the department, to evict unauthorised inmates staying in post-metric hostels for boys,” minister for social welfare Priyank Kharge promised when his attention was drawn to students staying illegally in post-metric hostels. Sources in SWD Commissioner’s officer informed that weeks after the minister’s statement became public, the department was yet to issue a circular on evicting those staying illegally.