BC body decries move to close down hostels

Hyderabad: National BC Welfare Association president R Krishnaiah on Sunday demanded that the government withdraw the decision to close SC, ST and BC hostels on pretext of low number of inmates.

In a press release, he said the government had decided to close 59 SC, 35 BC and 6 SC hostels as they had low number of inmates. He said Finance Minister Eatala Rajendar announced that if the number of students in a hostel was less than 50, they would be closed.

Krishnaiah said 12 organisations of BCs had met on Sunday and condemned the decision of the government.

He said through agitations the BC Welfare Association had ensured establishment of 5,000 school hostels, 1,250 college hostels and 616 residential schools for the benefit of 12 lakh students.

This infused consciousness among the SCs, STs and BCs to take up education. However, the government did not raise the mess charges as per the rising prices of commodities and this had led to drop out of students from schools and colleges,
he said.

The hostels were serving low quality food and students were unable to eat the meal and new students were not showing interest to join hostels.

Due to the absence of wardens and workers, the maintenance of hostels had gone haywire. One warden was looking after four hostels, Krishnaiah said.

In Hyderabad, about 60 per cent of hostel warden posts were vacant, and 40 per cent of workers’ posts were yet to be filled. The government did not take action to fill the posts even though several representations were made, he said.

The government had been hatching a conspiracy to close down the hostels by not raising the mess charges. In some hostels, students were thrown out on trivial reasons. A hostel with 60 students had been closed down.

In some mandals, the students had been sent away from the hostels forcibly, the leader alleged.

The government should pay Rs 1,500 to each student per month as mess charge up to seventh class, Rs 1,600 each to high school students, Rs 2,000 each to college students and Rs 2,400 each to university students,
Krishnaiah demanded.