Shivamogga: The zilla panchayat has begun to implement a slew of measures to streamline the functioning of government-run hostels in the district and to ensure the safety of students. This includes the installation of surveillance cameras and introduction of a biometric attendance system.
Zilla panchayat CEO K Rakesh Kumar told media that a meeting of the senior officials of Social Welfare, Backward Classes and Minorities, Public Instruction and Police departments was held recently in which it was decided to make the biometric attendance mandatory for staff members as well as students in hostels.
Kumar further informed that health check-up camps will be held in the hostels once in two months. Observations by doctors on the health condition of each student will be documented. Meetings with parents will be held once in three months, he said.
Quality food will be served with a chart detailing each day’s menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner being displayed. The food should be prepared as per the information displayed in the chart, he said.
Kumar said that trespassing and creating nuisance are other complaints for which solution had been laid down. Compound walls will be built around hostel buildings and surveillance cameras will be installed at all girls’ hostels, he stated.
The engineering section of zilla panchayat will soon prepare an estimate on the cost that will be incurred to construct compound walls and for installation of surveillance cameras after which a proposal will be submitted to the State government seeking the necessary funds, Kumar said.
There are 233 government-run hostels in the district, including 141 hostels run by the Department of Backward Classes and Minorities and 92 hostels run by the Department of Social Welfare.
