TIRUCHY: The problems posed by government welfare hostels designated for college students hailing from the Backward Classes (BC) and Adi Dravidar communities in the district literally appear to begin at the door. While complaints include damaged doors, poor electricity wiring and water supply, students residing in BC welfare hostels rue of even food shortage in the mess.
M Vikram, a student of Thanthai Periyar Government Arts & Science College, claimed the government hostel near Cantonment as lacking maintenance. As a result, students who returned from summer vacation were unable to lock their hostel doors and several of them were partly broken, Vikram added. A hosteller, who did not wish to be named, claimed there to be a shortage in food supply at the hostel mess.
"When we took the issue with the warden, he cited insufficient funds as the cause,” the hosteller said. Vikram, while mentioning the hostel near Cantonment as housing around 80 students, pointed out that first-year students were yet to join. "Even without them, there is shortage of food. When they join, what will happen?" he wondered.
Another common complaint is the power supply to the hostel, with students claiming several of them having suffered a shock. Fearing a shock many of us have started using extension boxes, they said. Further, they complained of unhygienic toilets with frequent clogging. They are cleaned only after multiple complaints with the warden, students claimed.
A student while mentioning of a protest having been staged last week over the lack of maintenance in the hostels, added that a petition has been lodged with Collector M Pradeep Kumar. When enquired, a BC, MBC & Minorities Welfare Department official in the district claimed the problems in the government hostels as being created by the students.
When they damage an electric box or a fan, it takes time to repair them, the official added. On the alleged shortage in food supply, the official said it was due to illegal stay in the hostels by those seniors who have arrears.