Tribal girls’ hostel remains unused for 6 years over water crisis

Raigarh | Correspondent: A government hostel built for college going girls in the tribal-dominated Lailunga area of Raigarh district which has been lying unused for six years.

The hostel designed to house 100 students was constructed at a cost of Rs 2.72 crores which was inaugurated in October 2018, but due to the lack of water supply, it has remained closed ever since.

The hostel was intended to provide accommodation for rural and poor students studying at Government Saint Gahira Guru Rameshwar College in Lailunga.

However, in the absence of water, the hostel has become a haven for miscreants, with reports of drunkards frequenting the premises.

Windows and doors have been broken or stolen, and bushes have overgrown the entire campus.

Besides, local students, who were meant to benefit from the facility, are forced to live in rented accommodations.

According to reports, the groundwater level in the area falls drastically during the summer months, making it impossible to supply water to the hostel.

Despite repeated letters from the Higher Education Department seeking updates, no concrete action has been taken to resolve the issue.

The hostel’s closure has drawn criticism, with some blaming poor planning, including the failure to check the availability of water before construction.

The hostel’s Bhoomi Pujan was done in October 2017 by then Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh and Union Minister Vishnudev Sai, and it was inaugurated just a year later, before the December 2018 state elections.

However, after the Congress party came to power, no steps were taken to open the facility.

The situation remains unresolved, with local officials promising to address the issue, but no timeline has been provided for when the hostel might finally open.