Inmates protest lack of basic facilities

Though the hostel has been started one year ago, the hostel does not have adequate toilets, rooms or drinking water facilities. Inmates of the hostel have decided to boycott classes till their demands are looked into.

“Due to the negligence on the part of the superintendent, we do not receive the facilities provided by the government. He has not visited the hostel for over a week. The mess has no cooks, and if we complain about any of our problems, he brings policemen to the hostel, and threatens us,” the inmates alleged. They also charged that the hostel, which has 130 inmates, has cutlery for just 50. They had brought along the vessel in which the morning’s breakfast had been prepared, with unclean water.

 They also urged the officials to change the warden of the hostel. The inmates said that they had been requesting for sports and equipment and library facilities for over a year now.

They said they would continue their protest until the Social Welfare Officials arrived at the spot.

Supervisor suspended
Attempts by Social Welfare Officer Chowdappa, Manager M K N Murthy, and warden D Chikkanna to pacify them went in vain. District Social Welfare Officer Pradeep, who arrived at the spot, heard the students’ grievances and suspended supervisor Chinnappa on the spot, on charges of dereliction of duty.

The officer, who then held talks with the students promised to solve their problems at the earliest, and directed the officials to appoint a new superintendent within a week. The students then withdrew their protest.

Later he also visited the Girls’ Pre- Metric and Kittur Rani Chennamma hostels.  Social Welfare Officer Chowdappa and others were also present.