KURNOOL: Government welfare hostels in the district are caught in deep crisis thanks to lack of basic infrastructure and official apathy. A series of problems, including dilapidated structures, drinking water scarcity and lack of bathroom facilities are plaguing the hostels. With officials concerned failing to manage them effectively, students are being put to severe hardship.
A total of 198 hostels are run in the district. Of the total, 102 are social welfare, 83 BC welfare and 13 tribal welfare hostels. About 60 per cent of the hostels are being run in rented buildings. Moreover, the buildings do not have bathrooms facilities causing severe inconvenience to girl students.
The students are consuming contaminated water due to more hostels having no drinking water facility. In some places, hostel wardens are not attending to duties regularly. Facilities apart, students are being deprived of nutritious food as contractors refuse to supply essential commodities at the price fixed by the government.
“Nearly 20,000 students are studying in government hostels across the district. The government is giving `750 per head per month for diet for students studying in classes 3 to 7 and `850 per head for students of classes 8 to 10. In other words, average daily allocation is `26 per head and it is for tiffin, lunch and dinner. How is it possible to provide quality and nutritious food with this small amount at present day’s prices,” BC Hostel Welfare Officers Association State president P Srinivasulu said.
He said that they have been demanding the government for increasing the food bill and shifting hostels from rented buildings to full-fledged government buildings. “There is a need to set up biometric attendance and catering system in every hostel,” he stated.
KB Shankar, an inmate of B Camp Hostel in the district headquarters, said that `62 per student per month for cosmetic charges was also not adequate.
“The government has given a pair of shoes without socks, but the shoes are loose for me and I am not using the pair,” he said. R Madhu of Belagal hostel, said that they do not have a good sleep during night time due to lack of facilities.
The BC and SC hostels at B Camp in Kurnool city, SC, ST and BC hostels at Aspari, Belagal and Yemmiganur, ST hostel in Nandavaram, BC hostel in Mantralayam, SC boys hostel in Gonegandla, SC hostel in Kosigi and BC hostel in Peddakadubur are a few which testify to the sorry state of affairs prevailing in government hostels.
“As the contractors refuse to supply essentials at the prices decided by the government, hostel wardens are running the hostels by getting essentials on credit from provision stores,” said BC Employees Association president G Vijayabhaskar Yadav.
