Even God cant offer solace to these students

HUBLI: The plight of about 80 students of the BCM hostel at Jantli-Shirur village of Mundargi taluk, Gadag district is a source of concern.The students who have been living in Laxminarayan temple at the village now, go to a pond or open well to wash their clothes.The apathy of the officials concerned to this hostel dates back to four years.Social Welfare Department had started the pre-metric BCM boys hostel at Jantli-Shirur village in 2007.BCM students of Venkatapur, Pethalur, Dambal, Kadampur, Halligudi and Harlapur villages, who were till then staying at the Mundargi hostel were shifted to the newly setup hostel due to the proximity of Shirur to their villages.The department had made temporary arrangement for running the hostel in the local gram panchayat building.However, as there was no progress in constructing a building for the hostel, the Jantli-Shirur GP served a notice to the Social Welfare Department to vacate the hostel.Following this, the department had shifted the hostel to an old building of the Revenue Department.In 2009, the Revenue Department had cautioned the hostel superintendent that the building which developed cracks could collapse any time.About 80 students of this hostel were given unscheduled ‘holidays’ two weeks as they did not have any shelter.Later, considering the plight of the poor students, Jantli-Shirur villagers came forward to provide them shelter at the Laxminarayan temple.In the month of ‘Shravana’, when devotees hold Bhajans twice in a day, the students do not get any time to focus on studies.Student union leader Gavisiddayya Hallikerimath decried the lack of facilities to them.