From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jan 7: Absence of bathrooms, cots, latrines, lack of tables and study materials as well as poor security are some of the ills plaguing the 740 hostels run by Karnataka’s Social Welfare Department for the Backward Class, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Girls’ hostels.

This sorry state of affairs has been reported by a survey conducted by the State BJP Mahila Morcha in 740 hostels.

Most of the students are living in unhygienic environment with congested rooms, the BJP survey said.

In 28 per cent of hostels, more than 30 students were provided accommodation in room which can accommodate only five students.

With poor accommodation facility, many students were sleeping in dining hall, kitchen room and outside the hostel, said the survey report.

Morcha president Bharati Shetty and MLC Shruti submitted the report to Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya in Bengaluru on Friday.

There was no hot water facility in 317 hostels and 77 per cent of hostels were deprived of tables and chairs for studying. There were no cots in 418 hostels, and students sleep on the floor even during winter. In 219 hostels, there were no bed-sheets and pillows, the survey said.

Out of the 1342 hostels run by the Department, the Mahila Morcha members conducted a survey of 740 hostels across the state and said in all hostels the number of students were more than the registered number of students.

Students were denied of sports facilities in 318 hostels and cultural programmes were not being held in 278 hostels.

There was no computer facility in 530 hostels and in hostels where computers were provided, nearly 22 per cent of computers were defunct, the survey said.

Students were also denied of television facility.

The survey said 576 residential hostels have not taken up educational tours, there were no permanent wardens in 214 hostels.

The Minister said he would take steps to set right the issues in hostels and the process of recruitment of wardens under way.

In 18 per cent of hostels, the number of rooms were not par with the number of students and 20 hostels were in dilapidated condition, the report said.

It also recommended immediate shift of Kittur Rani Hostel of Koppal, Madhugiri taluk hostel and Kalgatagi taluk Devikoppa hostels.

Several hostels have been constructed in a haphazard manner and isolated places, the report said.

The number of bathrooms in 352 hostels were in proportionate to the number of students and in several hostels doors and windows of bathrooms were broken. Shortage of water in bathrooms, latrines unfit for use and poor library facilities were major features of several hostels, the survey said.