“Students staying in some government hostels are facing severe problems, including poor security, no electricity, insufficient toilets, unhygienic conditions and poor quality food,” said Krishna district Superintendent of Police M. Ravindranath Babu, who stayed during nights in a few hostels.
Police personnel of all ranks visited the BC, SC and ST Welfare and other hostels in Krishna district and spent a night with the inmates in the last one month. They interacted with the students and enquired about their problems.
Following the murder of a third standard student, Dasari Aditya (7), by a tenth class boy in the BC Welfare Hostel at Challapalli in the district a month ago, police conducted a study on the poor security measures and amenities in government hostels.
Report submitted
“We were shocked by the poor quality food, poor illumination, lack of compound walls, insufficient and poor maintenance of toilets and hostels running without watchmen. During the inquiry, it was revealed that Aditya’s murder occurred due to poor security in the Challapalli hostel,” said Mr. Ravindranath Babu.
Police constables, SIs, CIs, DSPs, Additional SPs and other officers visited 191 hostels in a month. The officers stayed for a night and interacted with the inmates. and observed the facilities in the government-run hostels in the district.
“About 175 hostels did not have CC Cameras, 16 were running without compound walls, 13 did not have watchmen, 72 hostels were running without proper electricity, poor maintenance of toilets was found in 45 hostels, 17 hostels did not have sufficient toilets and food was not good in 27 hostels,” the SP said, adding that a report has been submitted to the government.
Avanigadda Deputy Superintendent of Police(DSP) M. Ramesh Reddy said the police had tasted the food, slept in the hostel rooms and had taken bath in the washrooms.
“In some hostels, the students were staying in horrible conditions,” he said.
“Due to poverty and other reasons, students are staying in the hostels. But the situation is pathetic in some government hostels. Recently, a boy suffered a snakebite due to poor lighting and maintenance in the hostel,” the DSP said.
Nuzvid DSP B. Srinivas said there was no infrastructure, fans and drinking water and students were suffering from fevers and other health disorders in a few hostels.
Security threat
“Our women police officers interacted with the inmates in girls hostels. In some institutions, the girls were living in constant fear as there were no compound walls. There was no security for inmates from anti-social elements in some hostels,” Mr. Srinivas said.