Students' Hostels in Ukhrul remain occupied by staffs
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, September 21 2014: Even as hostels have been set up for nearly a decade, students of Ukhrul Higher Secondary School are left without hostel facility even today as hostel buildings are occupied by school staffs.

Two separate hostel buildings for boys and girls of Ukhrul Higher Secondary School have been established in 2008 for accommodating students who hail from remote villages and those who belong to low income families.

But this very boon has been taken ab initio by the staffs of the school by converting the hostel buildings into staffs' quarters.

When asked why the hostel facility is being denied to the students, Ringkahao Khapai, the incumbent principal of the school said: there is no kitchen and furniture such as beds, table, etc.

available hitherto.

Lack of kitchen and furniture being the main reason, students cannot be accommodated until now, added the school principal.

The school principal further stated that few staffs, with the permission of former principal, had occupied the hostel buildings immediately after inauguration and subsequently more staffs together with their families moved to the hostel buildings while adding that some staffs also took shelter in the buildings following Wino Bazaar inferno in 2009 in which staffs' quarters of the school were completely ablaze.

The staffs were partially evacuated earlier on two occasions in 2012 and 2013 by the discretion of the then Ukhrul Deputy Commissioner when children of the district rescued from outside the state were to be temporarily lodged in one of the two buildings.

But the staffs reoccupied the building subsequent to the release of rescued children.

It may be recalled that during his visit to the victims of child trafficking in 2013, the Principal Secretary Education (s) Dr.Suresh Babu, in the presence of CWC member had verbally instructed to the then Deputy Commissioner to initiate steps to ensure hostel facility to students.

Unfortunately, the then Deputy Commissioner was removed from the district before anything could be done on his part and the same was the case with his successor.

Each of the hostel building has 34 rooms with a capacity of two beds in each room to accommodate 136 hostellers.

There are sufficient toilets and bathrooms with water pipeline connection, electricity and large study hall.

It is high time that concerned authorities should ensure hostel facility to the poor and needy students.

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