MANGALORE: State Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj C.M. Udasi said here on Tuesday that officials could not neglect the maintenance of hygiene and upkeep of hostel buildings, especially those meant for children.

Mr. Udasi, who made a surprise visit here, expressed shock over the appalling conditions at Kudmul Ranga Rao hostel for backward castes and said that care should be taken to keep the residents healthy. It required that good health and hygiene practices be observed at the hostel, he added.

"Shocked"

The Minister said he was shocked to hear that one child had died and several children had been admitted to hospital due to malaria. He said simple steps like preventing mosquito breeding, providing mosquito nets and closing the windows in the evenings could prevent the onset of malaria.

"Disappointing"

It was disappointing that the hostel management had not taken such measures, he said.

He would go to Bangalore, where he would take steps to review the functioning of hostels for the backward classes in the city and would appoint suitable officers to look into the shortcomings in these establishments, he said.

Visits hospital

Mr. Udasi later visited the government Wenlock hospital, where 10 girls have been admitted for treatment.

Suggests action

So far, three have been shown to have malaria. Mr. Udasi has directed the officials to immediately get all the windows and doors of the hostel repaired and provide mosquito nets to all the students.

He also went to the top floor of the hostel and inspected the overhead tank, in which mosquitoes have been breeding in large numbers. He advised the officials to fix proper covers for the tanks.

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