Agartala, October 1: Tripura SC Welfare Minister Sudhangshu Das conducted an unannounced inspection of the Dr B R Ambedkar Memorial Hostel and the SC Girls’ Hostel at Jagannath Bari, reviewing facilities and services being provided to students.
During the inspection, Das checked student occupancy against the sanctioned number of seats and reviewed the availability and condition of amenities provided by the government, officials said.
The minister later told reporters that the inspection was aimed at ensuring that students were receiving the facilities and benefits allocated to them and that the hostel infrastructure was being properly maintained.
He inspected computers and an open-air gymnasium provided at the hostels and sought details about their maintenance and use.
During his interaction with students at the Jagannath Bari hostel, some residents raised concerns about the quality of food being served and the services provided by trainers engaged for special programmes.
Das said the grievances raised by the students had been recorded and assured them that necessary corrective measures would be taken.
The minister also expressed concern over complaints regarding the quality of drinking water at the hostel, particularly the presence of high levels of iron.
He said an iron-removal unit had already been installed by the Public Health Engineering Department, but questioned why the problem continued despite the facility being put in place.
Das directed the concerned Sub-Divisional Officer and engineers to inspect the water supply system and take immediate steps to address the issue. He also said a departmental officer would visit the hostel within two days to examine the matter and facilitate its resolution.
The minister acknowledged that complaints regarding food quality had been reported at the hostel in the past.
According to Das, some staff members had earlier been replaced following lapses, and new workers had subsequently been engaged.
He also referred to allegations of misconduct involving some kitchen staff following disputes with students. The workers concerned admitted their mistakes and were transferred to other hostels, he said.
“If someone accepts their fault and shows remorse, they should be given a chance to improve. But if irregularities occur again, strict action will follow,” Das said.
The minister said the SC Welfare Department was committed to providing hostel residents with a safe, healthy and supportive environment.
He stressed that both infrastructure and services at government-run hostels should meet prescribed standards and said shortcomings identified during the inspection would be addressed promptly.
