HYDERABAD: Social Welfare Minister D.S. Redya Naik said here on Saturday that 120 integrated hostel complexes would be constructed in the State at a cost of Rs. 180 crores.

Speaking to reporters after a two-day meeting to review the working of the Social Welfare Department, Mr. Naik said the aim was to provide better facilities to the students. In all, 400 students belonging to the SC, ST, BC and OC groups would be admitted into each integrated hostel.

Finance equation

Out of the 120 hostels, 62 were earmarked for girls and rest for boys. Each hostel would be constructed at a cost of Rs. 1.50 crore.

HUDCO would extend a loan of Rs. 162 crores while the rest would be given as matching grant by the departments of Social Welfare, Backward Classes and Scheduled Tribe Welfare.

Asserting that the Congress Government was paying utmost attention to improve the facilities in schools and hostels, the Minister said 46 new hostels for SC students in colleges were set up while an additional 23 hostels for girls would be established this year. A record 3.77-lakh SC students were given post-matric scholarships last year and this would be enhanced to 4.14-lakh students this year.

Mr. Naik said that serious action was being planned against officials of the districts where the performance of hostel inmates, who took the SSC examinations, were bad.

Officials in the rank of deputy directors, hostel welfare officers and assistant social welfare officers of Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy and Medak districts would also be asked to explain the poor results.

To visit hostels

The Minister plans to visit all the districts to study conditions in the hostels.

He said that the Government planned to regularise the services of 1,700 contract teachers in the SW residential schools.

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