Efforts are under way for the speedy reopening of a ‘She lodge’ near the Kozhikode Town police station to offer safe and affordable accommodation for women who come to the city for training, interviews, official meetings and travel purposes.
According to the Kozhikode Corporation authorities, the facility will be thrown open after purchasing some essential furniture and the repositioning of some of the nearby bunk shops. There will be all required amenities to ensure the stay of 125 persons at a time in the spacious building, they add.
“Though the facility was inaugurated last year, the pandemic situation affected its functioning along with other technical issues. The unexpected delay in procuring some furniture items for rooms also caused the delay,” says S.K. Aboobacker, councillor from Valiyangadi division. He also points out that the corporation is yet to finalise a suitable agency that can manage the functioning of the facility.
The unavailability of cost-effective short-stay homes has been a matter of concern for women who reach the city from nearby districts. One of the main attractions of the ‘She lodge’ was its proximity to the police station and the Kozhikode railway station. With the delay in opening, many women in need of short-stay facilities were depending on the service of paying guest service providers at a higher cost.
Corporation officials said the building was completed at a cost of ₹4.7 crore under people’s planning projects. “The facility on a 28-cent plot has good dormitories, individual rooms, Wi-Fi connectivity, comfort station facilities and 24x7 security surveillance,” they said.
