JOIN USStudents stage stir, demand basic facilities in hostels
The students residing in the hostels run by the District Social Welfare Department staged protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Thursday, demanding for basic facilities in the hostels.
Taking out a protest rally from the old Taluk office premises to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, the students shouted slogans against the government, the Social Welfare Department officers and the hostel wardens. They staged a protest in front of the DC’s office urging to solve the problems that exist in the hostels.
The protesters demanded the administration to construct additional rooms in hostels, provide basic facilities, take action against the officers who are involved in misappropriation in providing food to students and improve the generator and computer facilities offered to the hostels.
Federation leader Mahesh said that students in pre-metric and post-metric hostels, professional hostels and hostels in residential institutions are deprived of basic facilities which is acting as a distraction while pursuing education. The students are offered with poor quality food. Due to the cap on subsidised LPG cylinder, students are not given sweets, egg and banana which was the part of their hostel diet earlier, he complained.
Further, he said that despite the government’s order to offer, chicken curry, fish curry twice in a week, coffee and tea in the morning and evening, the Social Welfare Department officers and the hostel wardens are not following the guidelines.
The students are supplied with a very poor quality rice, that even animals can not eat, said Mahesh.In a memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, the protesters demanded to provide good quality text books to students in hostels and colleges, increase the mess expense per student to Rs 1,500, take action against the wrong-doing officers, provide quality drinking water and toilet facilities, solar system to the district hostels and additional rooms to students. They also requested the administration to open a separate professional hostel for girl students.
DC responds
In response to the students’ demands, Deputy Commissioner S T Anjan Kumar assured that the officers will pay a visit to all the hostels in the district within a month and inspect the facilities. The inspection in the hostels located in the city will begin immediately.
A comprehensive report will be submitted to the Social Welfare Minister and the Commissioner requesting to increase the funds allotted to the hostels. Action will be taken against the officers if they are found guilty. A proposal will be submitted to the government on the need to open a professional hostel for girl students, he said.