Visit to Central Girls hostel at Burdwan

Today is Birth Annivarsary of Dr B R Ambedkar. After official function at Collectorate, visited Central girls hostel for SCs in Burdwan town. ADM General, ADM Development, SDO Sadar North and PO DWO BCW also accompanied me. This hostel has capacity of 50 beds for post matric SC students. Most of the girls are studying in College and University at Burdwan and some of them hails from Purulia, Murshidabad and Hooghly districts.

It is pleasant experience to find that quality of food served here is good, mess being managed by inmates. Students are getting hostel stipend from BCW department. I had interaction with inmates and tried to understand their views about further improvement in the services. Some of the suggestions that may be considered are :-

• Annual stipend allotted to inmates is sufficient enough to meet the expenses of mess (Rs 500 pm), college fee and cost of text books. But there are additional expenses on reference books, particularly in PG classes, tuition by private tutor that is generally not covered. System of book bank in each hostel may be useful to all of them as it may save about Rs 2500 to Rs 4000 annually per student as students can get books free of cost from the hostel. One time cost may be incurred out of BEUP funds where textbook cost is permissible or local bodies can provide this fund.
• Some of the career magazines and two newspapers in vernacular language and one in English may be useful to the inmates. BCW department grants allotted to hostel can be utilised for the purpose.
• Cycle stand needs to be shifted in the free space, vacating the dinning hall. Fund can be provided out of hostel maintenance on submission of estimates by SAE of BCW. Temporary shed at roof top may constructed so that this roof can be used by inmates in absence of common hall.
• 
  We may try double decker beds in the rooms so that sufficient space to keep study table is available to each students.

One of the inmates I met at the hostel narrated that her mother works as day labourer and earns under NREGA. She is the only earning family member. Deficit of the study budget is provided by her mother out of the income derived from NREGA. If we can provide this deficit in the form of book bank, she may feel financially comfortable. I am happy that this tribal girl is doing well in studies and wish to be teacher. There might be other girls with same plight of deficit budget. We need to plan for the same.