JOIN US The Government is spending crores of rupees on the maintenence and development of hostels in the State, particularly those setup for the benefit of students belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and backward classes.
But, the government-run hostel for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes college students situated in Ward 3 of Bagepalli town lacks basic amenities and cleanliness.
What is surprising is that the hostel kitchen functions from an old building which was once a commercial establishment.
The hostel, which should have been a home for 360 students studying in PU and degree colleges, has no rooms. Therefore, students come to the hostel only to have food: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
In the absence of lodging facilities at the hostels, students have been compelled to hire rooms on their own in the hostel vicinity for their accommodation.
Besides, the kitchen and dining hall at the hostel are badly maintained. As polluted water often gets collected in the dining hall, students are forced to walk through it and, have to bear the foul smell. As the hostel lacks proper power supply, students have to switch on lights from their mobile phones while having food during the night, a student complained.
Water problem
Further, the hostel has no bore well of its own and water is procured through a tanker from private supplier every day. “There have been occasions when we do not have water to drink or even wash our hands after a meal,” Ramana, a student, told Deccan Herald.
Students complained that the water tank at the hostel had not been cleaned for several months and the asbestos sheet roof the building was almost on the verge of collapse.
Students also complained that poor quality rice was being used to cook food at the hostel. The Government should immediately take-up construction of rooms as several students from remote villages have been put to inconvenience, they added.