Jhumpura: Accommodation of tribal students is a key element at residential schools run under SC, ST and minority welfare department, but several 110-bed hostels in Jhumpura block in Keonjhar district are lying unused even though work on these hospitals was completed long ago.
As hotels are not made operational, girl students have to face a lot of problems here.
According to sources, the government made arrangement for 110-bed hostels for girls in different residential schools. Many hostel buildings are lying incomplete while some are unusable due to lack of electricity and water.
Lured by hostel facilities, girls have got admissions in many schools under this block. However, they suffer due to lack of accommodation.
Girls’ hostels have been set up on premises of Badaneuli high school, ABA high school at Khuntapada, Balibnadh high school, Gumura high school, Malda high school, Nayagarh UGUP school and Maa Gramyashree college at Naradpur.
Sources said three departments share responsibilities ranging from construction of hostels to make them ready for use for girls.
Integrated tribal development agency is supposed to construct hostel buildings to supply electricity and water while the district social welfare department looks after food and other necessary things and school and mass education department appointment of teachers.
It was alleged that due to lack of coordination among departments, these hostels have remained unused for girls.
Project administrator of Jhumpura ITDA, Sridhar Nayak admitted that work at many of these hostels has not been done due to lack of coordination. “The hostels will be completed soon,” he assured.
District welfare officer Nityananda Das said, “We had a meeting with ITDA authorities in this regard. “Steps are being taken to make these hostels operational at the earliest,” Das added.
PNN