Newindpress
 
Mangalore, Feb 22:  A month has passed and many Government-run hostels do not have the slightest knowledge of being snooped.

"An inquiry into hostels for SC/ST and backward communities has been launched across the State as part of good governance," informs Lokayukta Chief Justice N Santosh Hegde while confirming Lokayukta officials were tasked to submit reports on the pathetic condition of hostels in districts.

Justice Santosh Hegde who chanced on a story of a hostel for SC/ST in a daily, directed an inquiry into the pathetic conditions prevailing in government-run hostels. Just as the Lokayukta Chief suspected skeletons have begun to tumble out from hostels.

Half-way through, district Lokayuktha sleuths have realised that none of the 83 hostels run by District Social Welfare Department, Integrated Tribal Development Programme (ITDP), Backward Classes and Minorities Department have been a succour to poor children.

"The conditions are wretched," admits an official on conditions of anonymity. Visiting hostels, the sleuths snooped around looking at maintenance of hostels, cleanliness, food preparation, availability of water and hostel occuppancy.A lion’s share of the allocated funds are spent on buying rice at prevailing market prices.

"The subsidised rice is grabbed by schools for their mid-day scheme," informs sources in Lokayukta. Thus the food dished out in kitchens lack in hygiene and nutrition. There are no toilets as in Venur hostel and in another hostel, a cook doubled as warden. Doctors rarely visit such hostels and sick children are often picked up by their poor parents.

There were plenty of irregularities in purchase of LPG among others, sources said.An official in a department throwing his hands in despair said: "The government in present fiscal year 2006-2007 had released Rs 122.06 lakh for hostel maintenance as against the pegged demand of Rs 163.96 lakh." How do we raise this deficit amount of about Rs 41.9 lakh, the official asked.

According to Justice Santosh Hegde, the inquiry report will reveal whether the pathetic conditions are due to insufficient or mis-use of existing funds by the departments. "The exercise is part of an integrated objective to deliver good governance," Justice Santosh Hegde stresses.