BJP claims govt involved in Rs 2.1k crore hostel scam

Hubballi: Jagadish Shettar, the BJP leader of the opposition in the legislative assembly, claimed the ruling Congress is involved in Rs 2,158-crore student hostel scam and that students are living hellish lives in hostels.
Releasing ‘Sarkari Hostel’, a survey conducted by the state BJP, Shettar claimed hostels have become a haven for officials and ministers to loot money. “It’s a shame on the part of chief minister Siddaramaiah, who always claims to be a leader of Ahinda (Kannada acronym for Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits),” Shettar said. “If he is really bothered about the Ahinda community, he should order a judicial inquiry.”

Shettar claimed the survey was conducted over 30 days and covered 1,080 SC/ST and 1,510 OBC hostels across all districts. He said workers of BJP’s SC/ST and OBC morchas conducted the survey.

“It (the report) will be submitted to the government for immediate action,” he said. “We will give the government a deadline of two months to improve all hostels. If it’s not done, BJP will improve hostels once it assumes power in the state.” He clarified that BJP has no intention of initiating a legal battle in this regard, but demanded a judicial inquiry.

Going through statistics of survey report, he said 377 hostels have no wardens, while 381 don’t have proper toilets.

“As many as 565 hostels are not fit for stay,” he claimed. “More than 330 have no store room, 336 don’t have proper bathrooms, while 1,106 don’t have a supply of hot water for bathing. The irony is that 498 hostels have no drinking water and 666 hostels have students beyond the recommended capacity. Also, 1,183 hostels don’t have cots, pillows and blankets.”

He claimed the house committee, led by Congress MLA PN Narendra Swamy, had reported the scam of Rs 2,158 crore.

Hostel inspection in Belagavi

BJP leaders including Belagavi (rural) MLA Sanjay Patil and Kudachi MLA P Rajiv made surprise visits to the Devraj Urs Backward Classes Post Matric Boys Hostel in Anjaney Nagar in Belagavi on Friday, and conducted an inspection. A large crowd of leaders and party workers entered the kitchen and dining hall as well as rooms of the students along with media persons. They blamed the government for what they claimed were unhygienic conditions in and around the hostel.

The leaders claimed the drains outside the hostel building had not been cleaned, food items were kept in the open and the dining hall was too small to cater to 75 students who are housed in the building. They claimed students had complained about the quality of food served in the hostel. However, one student said the district officer had made a visit to the hostel recently and revealed that the hostel would be shifted to new building in Macche.