The Akka Mahadevi Hostel for postgraduate women students at Karnatak University Dharwad (KUD) has come under a cloud for allegedly failing to provide safety for its residents.
Some of the students have alleged that their seniors were harassing the juniors by not allowing them to eat their meals or wash their clothes.
Meals
“We receive meals at the hostel at Rs. 10 each. However, the seniors (those studying in the final semester) snatch away the food given to the juniors (those studying in the first and second semesters),” the students said.
Unable to bear the harassment, some of the juniors have quit the hostel and now stay at private paying guest houses near Saptapur.
Some of the women come from financially underprivileged families and have to work after college hours to pay for the monthly food bill.
A student, who did not wish to be named, said that as many as 30 students, unable to bear the harassment, had left the hostel to stay in private accommodation.
She also complained that the food being served was substandard and the hostel warden had ignored their pleas to provide better food.
“Around 15 girls fell sick after eating the hostel food a few days ago. Even after repeated appeals to higher officials, no steps have been taken to help the juniors,” she informed.
The students said that they had appealed to Vice-Chancellor H.B. Walikar to look into the matter.
