Government pre-university colleges in Dakshina Kannada are facing a severe sanitation crisis due to insufficient funds and lack of staff. With only ₹24 collected per student annually for maintenance, colleges are struggling to keep toilets clean, forcing some to rely on students for cleaning.

For instance, a PU college in Belthangady with 134 students collects ₹3,216 annually, which is inadequate for purchasing cleaning supplies and hiring staff. Previously, the government provided ₹2,000 per month for sanitation workers, but this funding stopped four years ago.

With 55 government PU colleges in the district facing similar issues, officials are demanding increased student fees or a separate fund allocation for sanitation. Many colleges lack Group D employees, as retirements over the past decade have left no replacements, worsening the crisis.

Jayanand Suvarna, principal of Govt PU College, Shaktinagar, and president of the Dakshina Kannada PU Colleges Principals’ Association, stated that colleges cannot sustain these expenses on their own. While some hire cleaners with their own funds, this is not a viable long-term solution.

Officials are urging urgent intervention to ensure basic hygiene facilities in government PU colleges.