From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Feb 4: In a move to help the large number of student community studying in different universities in Karnataka, the State Social Welfare Department has proposed to establish hostels for students in the campuses of all State universities.

The Bangalore, Gulbarga and Dharwad Universities have already expressed their interest to the proposal on establishing students' hostels on their campuses, Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya said.

A large number of students have not been able to concentrate on their studies due to non-availability of accommodation.

Moreover, most of the students were finding difficulties in payment of the exhortbitant rent charged by private building owners for hiring accommodation, he said.

The government has been presently providing Rs. 1,500 a month to each post-matric student belonging to the backward classes, who failed to get admission to hostels run by the Department in the current academic year.

The amount would be released directly to the student's bank account.

About 30,000 students would benefit from the scheme, the minister said.

In view of a shortage of hostels, the department decided to grant the amount to students to enable them to continue their studies by staying in rented houses.

The government had not been able to construct hostels in view of shortage of funds, the Minister said, and added that it was not difficult to get a house on rent for Rs. 1,500 in rural areas.

The department runs 316 post-matric hostels for boys and 319 post-matric hostels for girls in the State.

Anjaneya said the principal secretaries of all departments have been directed to fill 982 backlog vacancies which are reserved for Scheduled Caste and Schedule Tribe candidates.

Already steps have been taken to fill 480 vacancies.

All aided schools and colleges have been instructed to fill backlog vacancies without fail, he said.