A suo motu case has been registered by the Upalokayukta against Social Welfare officials, a hostel warden and the Divisional Controller of KKRTC for not providing proper facilities at a hostel.
Upalokayukta K.N. Phaneendra has registered the suo motu case after he found that the post-matriculation boys (Scheduled Castes) hostel in Yadgir lacks proper facilities.
In a release here, he said that the case was registered exercising his power under Section 7 (2) and 9(3)(a) of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act.
Deputy Director of Social Welfare Saroja, Assistant Director of Social Welfare D. Rajkumar, hostel warden Veeresh and the Divisional Controller of KKRTC in Yadgir have been named in the case.
The Upalokayukta has passed orders issuing a direction that those named in the case submit their objections with supporting documents within 20 days. They should also submit a detailed report on having provided proper facilities at the hostel in 30 days from the date of receipt of the order.
Mr. Phaneendra said that there were no proper facilities in the hostel when he visited it last week.
The Upalokayukta paid a surprise visit to the hostel to inspect the facilities provided to students when he was in the district.
“I found cockroaches in the kitchen, the fan was not working, there was no proper drinking water and no hot water for students, the toilets doors were broken, there were no proper beds and cleanliness in the wards. And, students also complained about insects in the food they were being served, there were no books available in the library, there was no proper bus service to the hostel and the authorities are not organising national events, including the birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar, in the hostel,” the Upalokayukta has noted in his order.
Mr. Phaneendra has also directed his office to send a copy of the order to the district in-charge Minister Sharanabasappa Darshanapur and the Commissioner of the Social Welfare Department.
