The official government resolution (GR), issued on April 5, said food is a matter of personal choice. (Express Photo)
The state government has decided to move away from awarding contracts for running of messes in the 495 hostels for tribal students. The government will instead transfer funds directly to the bank accounts of students who will now have to make their own arrangements for food.
More than 56,000 tribal students stay in these hostels, which are situated at the division, district and taluka levels, and accommodate students pursuing higher studies. Officials of the tribal development department claim that the move will allow for greater transparency. Students in hostels in municipal corporation limits will be paid Rs 3,500 per month, while Rs 3,000 per month will be transferred to those in non-municipal corporation areas.
The official government resolution (GR), issued on April 5, said food is a matter of personal choice. “In the present system, students are not able to exercise the same… in many cases students whose educational institutes are far away from the hostels have to skip lunch,” the GR read. The move drew criticism from students and tribal leaders, who said it was the latest step to do away with tribal hostels. Congress MLA KC Padvi said, “The amount mentioned itself is very paltry and will not suffice the needs of the students.”
Manisha Verma, secretary of the tribal development department, said, “Students will be able to exercise a range of options and will be empowered to take their own decisions in this regard.” She said the decision did not mean closure of existing mess facilities.