ARIYALUR: Officials have refuted claims put forth by hostel wardens of untimely delay by the state government to reimburse pending food bills amassed over the course of seven months at Backward Classes and Most Backward Classes hostels in Ariyalur district. They have taken the wardens to task for filing 'forged bills' at a time when the students were away and not present at the hostels.
The district of Ariyalur comprises 32 BC and MBC hostels in which the admission rate ranges between 40 and 50 students. The government has been providing Rs 33 per head per day for the hostel inmates. Hostel wardens are expected to spend from their own pockets every month and later avail of reimbursement by submitting the bills.
Several hostel wardens have highlighted a delay in sanctioning the reimbursement claims over the past several months. The aggravated wardens, on March 29, submitted a petition at the district collectorate seeking reimbursement.
Subsequently, Revenue Division Officer M Ramakrishnan promised to take the steps required at a peace talk held with the hostel wardens concerned, sources said.
Later, hostel wardens said they received the reimbursement, but only in half, prompting them to demand the amount incurred in its entirety.
A 48-year-old hostel warden, on conditions of anonymity, told TNIE, "Usually, the money is credited to us within a month of filing for reimbursement. However, for the last seven months, officials have been holding back our claims over demands for bribes. Even though 50 per cent of the bills have been settled, up to Rs 2 lakh is still outstanding with each of the wardens. Officials are yet to respond to this issue. We demand government intervention into the matter."
Another hostel warden, echoing the views, spoke of spending Rs 4 lakh from their own pocket over the past last seven months.
District Collector P Ramana Saraswathi told TNIE, "We conducted inspections over the last three months and found out that most of the students do not stay at the BC and MBC hostels in the district. Despite this, the wardens have been issuing claims for all the students every month. We suspect forgery. Most often, department officials are forced to pass the bills without verification."
"An inquiry was conducted, after which reimbursement was issued based on the student attendance. However, now they seek reimbursement for all the students. Full amounts will be paid out to the wardens in the case of full hundred per cent attendance at the hostels," the officer said.