Amir Beg summoned the girls to his chamber and questioned them about the cause of the cough. He found that more than 20 girls were suffering from cough, cold and headache. Some gentle questioning of the girls, and out tumbled many skeletons of the Government Girls’ Hostel.

Initially tongue-tied, the sensitivity of the headmaster made the girls speak out about the conditions in the hostel. They complained about drinking water too filthy to consume and containing worms, and that they had never been supplied hot water for bath throughout the now-ending winter. They complained about stale leftovers being served as breakfast on most of the days in the month and unhygienic conditions in the kitchen which had human hair and large crystals of salt in the upma.

Tall orders

“If we complain to the staff, we are threatened. We are ordered to fetch water by the buckets from the tap and wash kitchen vessels,”fifth standard student Pooja blabbered tearfully.

“The government pays Rs 650 for each of us, but the staff doesn’t spend even half of that. In a day, food is cooked only once. And on days the warden is not present in the hostel, the staff harass us,” Jyothi said.

To Beg’s shock, the students of the hostel, in which 49 girls are residents, revealed that the staff took away to their homes rice, pulses and cooking oil meant for the hostel kitchen.

“We get watery coffee, while the milk finds its way to the homes of the staff. On Monday they took away a sackful of coconuts meant for making chutney in the hostel,” the students complained.

Apparently, the 49 girls who reside in the hostel, had complained to the Warden, Kemparangamma, but she was cowed down by the threats of the staff.