Hostel superintendents protest for better working conditions

Jashpur | Correspondent: Hostel superintendents have protested difficult working conditions and the lack of basic facilities and benefits. Under the leadership of their district association, both regular and in-charge superintendents held a one-day symbolic strike and demonstration near Ranjita Maidan.

The superintendents, who have to stay on hostel premises 24 hours a day to look after students, submitted a five-point list of demands to the government. Their main demands include clear service rules, fixed working hours, weekly holidays, public holidays, cadre restructuring and a proper promotion system.

During the protest, District President Khagendra Chauhan explained the problems superintendents face. He said that unlike other government employees, they have to remain in the hostels day and night and do not get weekly holidays or public holidays.

He also highlighted the difficulties of living on the hostel campus with their families. In girls' hostels, male family members are not allowed to enter or stay after 6 PM. This creates problems for female superintendents in managing their family lives.

The association members also raised concerns about the shortage of funds and poor administrative support. Superintendents are responsible for students' overall care, including food, health, and daily needs. However, they are not given enough money to manage these responsibilities. Funds are often unavailable for students' medical treatment and repairs to hostel buildings.

The superintendents also opposed the system of calculating mess budgets based on students' daily online attendance recorded on the HMS portal. They said that even if a student is absent for one or two days, expenses such as cooking gas, fuel, spices and kitchen staff salaries remain the same. Despite this, the mess budget is reduced.

The association has demanded that the full monthly mess budget should be provided based on a minimum of 24 days of attendance. It has also demanded that superintendents should not be held responsible for technical problems with the HMS portal. Computers and internet facilities should also be provided in every hostel.

Another major concern is the lack of promotion opportunities. Association members said there is no clear policy for cadre restructuring or career growth. As a result, many employees retire from the same post to which they were first appointed, despite serving for many years. They have demanded promotion opportunities to higher departmental posts, such as divisional coordinator.

The association said that its demands are not only about the rights and benefits of employees but also about the safety, health, nutrition, and overall welfare of hostel students.

The superintendents warned that if the government does not take their demands seriously and find a solution soon, they will intensify their protest in different phases. This could also include an indefinite strike.