Several problems plague social welfare hostels in Anantapur dist

Anantapur : Parents of the children staying in welfare hostels in Anantapur district demanded that the government should construct own hostel buildings and extend decent amenities and facilities as private buildings are not suitable to house children.

Social welfare department is running nearly 20 hostels for the students of government schools in the city. They are all functioning in private rented buildings, which are poorly maintained and in precarious conditions. These hostels meant for BCs, SCs, Minorities and for differently abled children, are poorly maintained or no maintenance for several years.

Inordinate delay in releasing budget for hostels by YSRCP government during its tenure, inadequate funds to pay rents for the buildings and government's failure in hiking rent every two years as per the agreement are one of the reasons for the dangerous conditions in hostels. Children complain about bathrooms without doors, defective motors, irregular water supply, poor sanitation, half of the building covered with tinned roof, windows without doors are the conditions prevailing in the hostel buildings at third road, Arvind Nagar, Ferror colony, Hamaly colony. 50 to 250 children will stay in each hostel.

Social welfare authorities, when contacted, admitted that certain problems do exist in private buildings, alleging that private buildings owners are not taking up maintenance of buildings. The new government is contemplating to construct own hostel buildings to government school children and also for working women, they added.