South First uncovers the dreadful reality, including lack of rooms and beds, poor toilets, unsanitary conditions, of Telangana social welfare hostels.
The rooms of SC social welfare hostel. (Deepika Pasham/ South First)
In Telangana, the tragic spectre of suicides cast its shadow over the lives of four young girls from state-run hostels and residential school campuses this month alone.
On 3 February, two 15-year-old girls jointly died by suicide at a state-run social welfare hostel for members of the Scheduled Caste in the Bhuvanagiri district. In the next fortnight, two more girls died by suicide.
On 18 February, a 15-year-old student of a government-run social welfare residential school in Suryapet district of Telangana allegedly died by suicide at her house in Hyderabad. The incident occurred just a week after an 18-year-old Intermediate student from the same school also died by suicide.
Both social welfare hostels — designated purely for accommodations — and social welfare residential schools — serving as both study and stay facilities — in the state are accessible to students from Backward Castes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and minority groups.
South First delved into the heart of the matter, first visiting the social welfare hostel where the double suicide unfolded on 3 February, and then two other social welfare hostels — a BC social welfare hostel and an SC social welfare hostel — in Bhuvangiri to assess the available facilities for the students.
Approximately 1.5 km away, a Rythu Bazar stands, but reaching the hostel in Bhuvangiri demands a rather long walk for these students, as no transport service is available. The warden reveals that this is a consequence of inadequate government planning, relying on renting rooms or buildings instead of constructing proper hostel facilities.
The social welfare hostel is housed in a large building, currently also housing two private colleges: an Intermediate Junior College and a Degree College.
In this five-storey structure, the top two floors have been leased as Scheduled Caste and Backward Class social welfare hostels. The SC hostel caters to pre-matriculation students from Class 3 to 10, while the BC hostel accommodates post-matriculation students, including those pursuing Intermediate and Degree programmes.
Speaking to students residing at the hostel, South First uncovers the dreadful state of amenities provided — lack of proper sleeping arrangements, absence of storage spaces, poor toilet facilities, unsanitary living conditions, and almost no safety and security.
K Udayashree, an Intermediate College student residing in the BC social welfare hostel, frantically seeks permission to return home for a hospital visit. Explaining her predicament to South First, she emphasises, “We’re adapting to hostel life. Hailing from a remote village in the Bhuvangiri district, falling sick without access to first aid or medical care necessitates a visit home for treatment. After medication, my parents will drop me back at the hostel.”
Udayashree sheds light on the facilities, “We sleep on the floor with our mats, 14 members cramped in one room designated as a large hall by hostel officials. Without shelves, our belongings are stored in suitcases or bags. In our Bhuvangiri hostel, there’s only one fan per room, and some rooms lack fans entirely. Climbing numerous stairs to the top floors feels daunting, especially in the evenings, it is scary for the girls.”
In the SC social welfare hostel, where the double suicide occurred, all the student residents are minors and are provided with suitcase-like trunks for storage. However, the beds and rooms are in unsanitary conditions, with belongings scattered haphazardly and walls sporting cracks.
Toilets pose a significant cleanliness concern, as the government fails to allocate funds for proper restroom facilities. An open tap area serves as a makeshift washing area for girls’ belongings, while one or two rooms are converted into makeshift washrooms. Although the building has CCTV cameras, students claim they are not functioning.
While washing their clothes, two girls explain to South First, “In social welfare hostels, everything is free of cost, so sometimes we question the quality of amenities, especially food. The cook uses whatever vegetables she has, and the taste and quality of food have been impacting us. When we raise these concerns, we are told that the funds are not being released by the government. We still stay here as we have no other options.”
“Blaming the warden isn’t fair; our job has become increasingly challenging due to delayed diet charges since June 2023,” explains Sumathi (name changed), the warden of the BC social welfare hostel, to South First.
She laments, “Each child’s diet charge is ₹50 per day, covering rice, dal, eggs, and snacks. Additionally, the Road and Buildings Department pays ₹7-8 per square metre measuring individual room slabs. But what about the current market value? How can building owners lease their property for such low rates? Rent payments, directly credited to vendors, have been delayed by five months, adding to our concerns. Finding suitable buildings for hostels remains an ongoing challenge.”
Following the double suicide, the SC social welfare hostel has received notice to vacate. The warden in-charge, responsible for nearly 170 students in another hostel, is tirelessly searching for a new building. The previous warden was suspended by the SC Welfare Department following the suicides.
Her temporary replacement, D Chandraleka, who is the warden of another social welfare hostel, tells South First, “I’ve been tasked with overseeing the children of the SC social welfare hostel where the double suicide occurred. Currently, only 19 students have returned out of nearly 100. Many are still fearful, especially the Class 10 students whose parents are hesitant to send them back due to the trauma of their friends’ deaths. None of them are residing in the hostel; instead, they commute from home to attend school, despite the distance. They’re determined to complete their Class 10 studies and appear for the Board examinations.”
With just one night watchwoman for the social welfare hostel, children are left unsupervised when the warden leaves after duty hours.
Chandraleka emphasises, “Throughout my 10 years of service, the issue of inadequate buildings persists. The government should prioritise providing independent buildings or rooms, especially considering that students already face significant expenses commuting to school. In Bhuvanagiri, there are 10 social welfare hostels: three BC, four SC, and three ST social welfare hostels.”
Speaking recently on the conditions of the social welfare hostels in the Assembly, BJP MLA of the Armoor constituency Rakesh Reddy, said, “There are almost 3,000 girl students belonging to SC, ST, and BC castes staying in social welfare hostels. The pathetic rooms are being shared by more than 10 girls in one room; they have no washrooms.”
He added, “Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has announced a new social welfare residential (Gurukul) in Kodangal but we request that such accommodations be made in our constituency and other constituencies, too. There are hostels with no amenities and when we ask the employees, they complain about the pending bills.”
An official from the Higher Education Department disclosed to South First that the Congress government plans to consolidate all BC, SC, ST, and Minority welfare hostels and residential institutions under a single umbrella. The proposal aims to streamline the efficient payment of bills, as well as monitor and facilitate the creation of new facilities. However, it is still pending government approval.
In addition to all the issues faced by students in the hostels, there is a glaring absence that exists when it comes to permanent counsellors in the government schools they attend.
During South First‘s visit to Bhuvanagiri, we also visited two government schools. One school witnessed students being punished by making them stand outside the classroom, while the other was celebrating Self-Governance Day, delayed due to the recent suicides (the girls who died were studying in this school).
The principal, familiar with the two students who died by suicide together, mentioned a conflict they had with the PT teacher and Class 7 students who reported them for having “a relationship”. “We had to stay away as it was an issue between the girls,” says the principal.
Following the complaint against the two girls, their warden was summoned and counselling was provided to them by her. All the wardens and principals South First met during the visit confirm the absence of professional counsellors for students.
Efforts are now being made to arrange counselling sessions and invite motivational speakers, in light of the recent suicides.
While South First did not deep dive into to condition of the government schools, it was observed that they lacked adequate maintenance and hygienic washrooms, and that the buildings were in need of a paint job. Furthermore, some students reported not receiving uniforms for the academic year 2023-24. A notable concern is the absence of proper footwear, particularly shoes, prompting requests to the District Education Officer for viable proposals to address this issue.
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