From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Nov 21: Engineering and medical students of different professional colleges in Karnataka, who have been struggling to get accommodation, have something to cheer as the Congress government headed by chief minister Siddaramaiah has decided to construct 60 hostels with a capacity to house 100 studnets each in different places.

One hostel each for boys and girls would be opened in each district to provide hostel accommodation for students studying in government, aided and private engineering and medical colleges as per the decision taken by the State Cabinet at its meeting on Thursday.

In order to ensure good study environment for engineering and medical students, the State Cabinet decided to separate medical and engineering students from the hostels of other post-metric students.

Briefing reporters after the State Cabinet meeting, Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya said a large number of students studying professional courses have been denied hostel facility.

Besides, many students had been provided accommodation along with other post-metric students, the minister said pointing out that it was not beneficial to both categories of students.

He said 25 per cent of seats in hostels would be reserved for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students.

Irrespective of the caste, students belonging to economically backward families will be eligible to receive admission in government run hostels, he said.

Library, computer, drawing table, and other facilities would be provided in each hostel, Anjyaneya said.

For recruitment of staff and establishment of hostels, the Cabinet has sanctioned Rs 6.87 crore for construction of hostels of girls and Rs 6.70 crore for hostels for boys during the 2013-14.

Towards food expenses, Rs 1,000 a month would be provided for each medical and engineering student.

A sum of Rs 37.61 lakh and Rs 36.16 lakh would be required for management of boys’ and girl’s hostels a year, the Minister said.