Despite crores allocated under SCP and TSP, hostel facilities at SC/ST residential degree colleges remain non-functional, forcing students to depend on social welfare hostels.
Haveri
Providing basic infrastructure and educational facilities plays a crucial role in encouraging students from rural, poor, and backward classes. During Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s earlier tenure, a major initiative was launched to set up 10 residential model degree colleges for SC/ST students across districts, including Haveri. The goal was to ensure access to quality education along with residential facilities for marginalized communities.
Seven years later, however, the dream is still unfulfilled due to the lack of proper implementation and clear guidelines. Although the government had envisioned these colleges as pilot projects with substantial infrastructure, the absence of food and hostel facilities has reduced them to day colleges. As a result, students are compelled to stay in hostels run by the Social Welfare Department in Haveri, defeating the original purpose of establishing exclusive residential institutions. The lack of residential facilities has also discouraged parents and students from opting for these colleges, leading to under-utilisation of the Rs 42 crore allocated grants under the Scheduled Caste Plan (SCP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP). Similar challenges exist in other districts as well, leaving SC and ST students disheartened.
According to sources, during Siddaramaiah’s previous tenure, Rs 250 crore was earmarked under SCP and TSP grants for these colleges across 10 districts. In Haveri, a residential degree college was built on 10 acres near Bhuveerapur village, with hostel infrastructure meant to accommodate 1,000 students.
Expressing concern, SFI District Coordinator S. Basavaraj criticized the government’s lack of clarity in setting up hostels. He pointed out the irony of spending crores on private rented buildings while the campus infrastructure lies unused, and urged the government to frame clear guidelines and operationalise the hostels at the earliest.
Meanwhile, College Principal T.B. Patil confirmed that he has already communicated with the government, apprised higher authorities of the situation, and is hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon.
