Hyderabad: The State Urdu Academy has finally succeeded in keeping its premises at Moti Galli intact. Its strong protest has forced the district authorities to drop the proposal to open a girls' hostel for minorities at the Urdu Bhavan.

Academy chairman Raheemuddin Ansari is stated to have taken up the matter with Minorities Welfare Minister Mohd. Fareeduddin. The Urdu Bhavan was intended to hold mushairas, literary programmes and marriages and hence it could not be converted into a hostel, Mr. Ansari told the Minister. Following intervention of the Minister, the district authorities have decided to look for alternative premises for setting up the hostel.

Sanctioned

It might be recalled that the Government recently sanctioned 12 hostels for the minorities in the State. They are to be set up in shadikhanas, which are not under use. Since the Urdu Bhavan in the city has just been completed and not yet put to use, the district authorities have planned to set up the hostel here. With the Urdu Academy putting its foot down, the hunt is on for rented premises.

Interestingly, the district authorities are now stated to be in favour of opening a boys' hostel in the city instead of a girls' hostel. Of the 12 hostels sanctioned, six are earmarked for girls, including the one in Hyderabad.

Minority girls in Hyderabad, it is felt, might not come forward to stay in a hostel and hence it is proposed to go for a boys' hostel.

The neighbouring Ranga Reddy district where a boys hostel was sanctioned would be converted into a girls hostel, it is said.

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