Hostels for tribal students on the anvil

Indian Express reports

BHUBANESWAR: To address residential problems in towns and urban centres faced by tribal students, the ST & SC Development Department has decided to set up hostel complexes in Bhubaneswar, Rourkela and Berhampur. As per the project, three such complexes will come up in Lumbini Vihar, Kalinga Vihar and Pokhriput in one acre land each in Bhubaneswar, one each in Berhampur and Rourkela.

The complex at Rourkela will be constructed on five acres of land. While one hostel complex in Berhampur has already been constructed and 143 tribal students are residing in there, work for another one is on in two acres of land.

Sources said the complexes in Bhubaneswar will house as many as 1000 students and those in other two centres will accommodate 300 students each. Land for the purpose in all the three centres have been acquired.

These complexes will house all the facilities for students and keeping in view their requirements, educational architects have prepared detailed project layouts.

Sources said though a decision in this regard was taken at a high-level meeting in September last year, work began this year.

Many reputed educational institutions in these three centres have enrollment of several tribals students. Many of them who fail to get hostel seats are forced to stay in private accommodations by paying high rents.

“Education of tribal students is the primary objective of our department. These complexes will be of great help to them who want to pursue higher education in urban centres,” said Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the department Santosh Sarangi.

The complexes will be set up at an expenditure of Rs 20 crore to Rs 22 crore. The construction works will be completed in another one-and-half years.

This apart, the department is setting up 1000 girls hostels in remote areas this year, which will provide facility for one lakh tribal students.

Sarangi said plans are also in the pipeline for starting 30 new ashram schools in the State by the department which will have classes from Std 6 to 10. An amount of Rs 1.7 crore each have been earmarked for construction of the schools, hostels and staff quarters, he added. Education in these schools will begin in 2013-14 academic year.