Biometric system in hostels

To help prevention of irregularities

Mahabubnagar: The State government has allocated funds worth crores of rupees to the social welfare hostels, but unfortunately, they are being misappropriated. There are allegations that wardens are involved in the embezzlement of funds. They are not providing food according to the fixed menu. There are 102 social welfare hostels with 13,500 inmates in the district and the wardens are allegedly pocketing the funds.

The State government, in a bid to set things right in this connection, has introduced the biometric system in the hostels on an experimental basis in 80 hostels to make the administration transparent. The decision has yielded good results as the biometric system was being implemented successfully by the hostel wardens.

Speaking to The Hans India here on Sunday, Yashoda, warden of a Scheduled Castes (SC) Hostel, said that the biometric system was introduced successfully in her hostel. However, the students residing in the SC hostels have a different story to tell. They said that the hostel wardens were fudging facts and figures in the attendance registers by showing inflated number of students and misappropriating funds, meant for purchasing blankets and books.

They said that even after the schools reopened post-vacation, the students are yet to return to the hostels. But, in the registers the wardens are recording hundred per cent attendance and showing it to the government to get more funds and diverting them for other purposes, the students alleged.

With the introduction of the biometric system, such irregularities could be put to an end as the students have to punch or swipe their attendance in the morning and evening. The Aadhaar card numbers of all students are also collected and linked with names in the attendance register to prevent irregularities. Students have expressed satisfaction over the new system.