Unused hostel adds to tribal students' woes

Metro India News | ADILABAD

A government-built ST Boys Hostel in Indravelli mandal, meant to support tribal students pursuing higher education after Class 10, has remained unused for several years, raising concerns among students and local residents.

The hostel building was constructed during the previous BRS government at a cost of Rs. 50 lakh to provide accommodation for tribal students from remote villages. However, when it was completed, the building was temporarily allotted to the Eklavya Model Residential School sanctioned for Indravelli mandal, as the school did not have its own campus.

The Eklavya school functioned from the hostel building for nearly three years. After a permanent campus was completed at Pataguda in Pitta Bongaram gram panchayat, the school was shifted to the new premises. Since then, the ST Boys Hostel building has remained vacant without being put to any use.

Students from remote tribal villages who are pursuing Intermediate at the Government Junior College in Indravelli and degree courses at a private college in the mandal headquarters are forced to travel long distances every day. They say the absence of hostel facilities is affecting their education, as the daily commute consumes time and creates difficulties in attending classes regularly.

Students have urged the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) officials and the district administration to take immediate steps to reopen the hostel and make it available for eligible tribal students. They believe that restoring the hostel will reduce travel hardships, improve attendance, and help students from interior agency villages continue their higher education without interruption.