Lack of blankets leaves BC welfare hostel students quivering in Kurnool district

KURNOOL: Several children living at the BC Welfare Hostels in Kurnool district are having sleepless nights as they do not have sufficient bed sheets despite the dropping mercury level. Some of the hostels reportedly even have damaged doors and windows leading to mosquito menace.

In the erstwhile Kurnool district, a total of 162 hostels, spanning pre-metric and post-metric levels, are overseen by various government welfare departments, including SC (Scheduled Class), ST (Scheduled Tribe), BC (Backward Class) and military welfare. Around 60 per cent of these hostels operate out of rented buildings.

Around 17,00o students, pursuing their education in nearby government schools and colleges, depend on these hostels for accommodation. Yet, these hostels lack even the most basic facilities such as toilets and bathrooms.

While SC and BC Welfare Hostels outside the Kurnool district have distributed bed sheets to the children, as many as 31 BC welfare hostels in the Kurnool district are yet to receive the winter essentials. This has resulted in a few children sleeping on the floor and battling the chilly winds that seep through the damaged windows and doors.

An officer of a BC welfare-run DNT (De-notified tribal) hostel in B-Camp, Kurnool, A Maha Lakshmi revealed that they have not received bed sheets. “Normally, the winter essentials arrive by July-end. However, this year, the delivery has been delayed,” she explained.

Speaking to TNIE, the district BC Welfare Officer (district empowerment officer), P Venkata Lakshmamma, maintained that they have dispatched the bedsheets and blankets. She said some hostel welfare officers were not collecting their stock promptly, leading to delays in distribution. She added that she will issue strict instructions to all officers concerned to ensure every child receives the essentials promptly.

Numerous issues at the hostels came to light during an inspection by Kurnool District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) secretary and senior civil judge Ch Venkata Naga Srinivasa Rao, along with District Child Protection Officer T Sarada.

For instance, a BC Welfare Department-run hostel in Peddapadu village lacked sufficient bathrooms and toilets, causing inconvenience to the 250 students who were residing there. Another hostel, managed by the SC Welfare Department, did not have adequate rooms and toilets. Shockingly, 70 per cent of the hostel buildings exhibit poor conditions, including issues with window and bathroom doors, and inadequate water facilities. The DLSA secretary said a detailed report on the deficiencies identified at the hostels during the inspection will be submitted to the High Court of Andhra Pradesh.