Five police personnel, including some women constables in plainclothes, recently walked into a women’s hostel at Suryaraopet. They checked the reception, rooms, the kitchen and spoke to the inmates. Even after half-an-hour, nobody questioned them who they were and what their purpose of entry was.
Not knowing that the persons were the Police Mahila Rakshak Teams, the staff gave all the details regarding the strength, facilities, fee particulars, security, non-availability of CCTVs and movement registers and other details.
It reflects the state of affairs in these hostels even as the mystery behind the sensational murder of Ayesha Meera in one such hostel, Sri Durga Ladies Hostel, at Ibrahimpatnam remains unresolved.
Unaware of norms
On receiving information, the Suryaraopet hostel organisers told the police that they had started the hostel a few months ago and were unaware of the norms. Interestingly, the workers said the hostel was being run for the last five years.
More shocking is that most of the hostels are being maintained on a day-to-day basis by men though they mentioned the names of their spouses or sisters as owners. Many hostels do not have permission and necessary documents.
Soon after the Ayesha Meera’s tragedy in December 2007, officials directed the hostel organisers to take licence. During raids on such facilities, many are found wanting on this count .
“As there were no security measures in the Durga Ladies Hostel, in which Ayesha Meera was killed, we are struggling to detect the case even after 10 years. The government should frame proper guidelines for running private students and ladies hostels and provide foolproof security for women,” said a police officer.
No register
“We do not post security guards at the entrance. The students and the women employees staying in our hostel can go out and enter freely. Even they need not sign in any register,” said a hostel owner much to the surprise of the police.
Congested rooms, untidy kitchens, poor sanitation, absence of surveillance cameras and poor security had been observed in many hostels. Anybody can walk into them, speak to the students and take them out. This is the situation in many hostels for students and working women being run in and around the city.
In some places, girls and boys hostels are accommodated in the same premises. More than 50 students are staying in one hostel and in some the strength has crossed 150. But they do not have fire safety, CCTVs and security guards. The phone numbers of the fire, police and other emergency services are not displayed as is mandatory.
Many students who take coaching for various competitive examinations, girls and boys pursuing professional courses and women working in different private and government departments are staying in these hostels.
Speaking to The Hindu , Women Development and Child Welfare (WD&CW) Krishna district Project Director (PD) K. Krishna Kumari said the department had issued licences to a few hostels and inspected the licensed ones. The government will issue licence if the hostel management applies with necessary documents.
WD&CW norms
“The hostel should be registered under the Societies Act or under a Trust. The organisation should have registration number, governing body and meet all the norms of the WD&CW, police and other departments. Recently, we served notices on those running without permission,” the PD said.
“We served a copy of the rules to be followed by the hostel owner for the welfare and safety of the students and working women staying in private hostels. Every hostel should comply with the norms failing which action will be initiated against the organisers,” said an SI who headed a team.
“I completed graduation and am taking coaching for bank probationary officers’ exam. I am a native of Eluru and joined the hostel three months ago. The fee for one month including accommodation and food is ₹4,000,” said a student Sravani.
Some organisers run more than one hostel at different places, but cook food in one hostel and transport it. They took trade licences from the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC). However, the police instructed the organisers to obtain licences from the Women Development and Child Welfare Department.
“The WD&CW Department is running the Kamala Nehru Government Working Women’s Hostel in the city. The management will maintain movement and visitor registers and only parents should admit their daughters by submitting necessary documents. No girl is allowed to go out after 8 p.m. and the home organisers are in regular contact with the police concerned,” said Ms. Krishna Kumari.
The police said the hostel owners should submit to them the list of the students and women staying in the hostel, maintain attendance registers, furnish details of all the inmates and workers, visitors’ details, arrange security personnel and night watchmen. Men should not enter them, they said.
“We have an association and we obtained trade licence from the municipal authorities. The CCTVs and the watchman will be arranged soon,” said Sree Vidhya Ladies’ Hostel owner Ch. Vijayalakshmi.
Licence not issued
“Though the government framed rules on the functioning of ladies’ hostels, the WD&CW Department officials are not responding when we visit their office and are not issuing licence. We don’t know whom to approach for the necessary clearances,” said a warden Malleswari.
Amaravathi Hostels Association vice-president Sai said the association was insisting that only the owners run the hostels. “We are trying to meet all the hostel owners, arrange a meeting and provide security for the students and women staying in ladies hostels.” But when no one can say for sure.
