The Kozhikode Corporation has once again sought the help of Kudumbashree to run its She Lodge and women’s hostel.
The facilities aimed at offering accommodation to travelling and working women could not be run by the civic body owing to non-availability of agencies to manage them.
The women’s hostel at Mankavu named after Haimavathy Thayat, the first woman Mayor of Kozhikode, was inaugurated in March 2022, though its construction began in 1997. The She Lodge on K.P. Kesava Menon Road was inaugurated in November 2020. Since no agencies came forward to manage the hostel and the lodge, the Corporation decided to put them on auction at the rate of ₹5 lakh and ₹10 lakh deposit respectively. However, there were no bids.
Though, the Corporation tried to hand over the lodge to the Department of Women and Child Development, the plan did not work.
The lodge has the facility to accommodate 125 women, with 21 rooms and 6 dormitories, while the hostel can accommodate 75 persons.
As per a recent decision of the Corporation, Kudumbashree units can apply for running of the two facilities within September 30.
On the other hand, Kudumbashree sources said most of its units could not afford to pay the huge deposit demanded by the Corporation. Besides, the room rent fixed by the Corporation was not viable, they added.
