Working Women Hostels Terms White Elephants

Ramesh Paharia

Hostels made for working women in different districts of the state by Women and Child Development Department are proving to be white elephants. Neither working women prefer to stay in these hostels nor does the department seem to be taking any concrete step in this direction. The hapless condition of these hostels constructed by the department with assistance from the Union Government could be gauged from the fact that out of a total of 14 such hostels, five hostels have no occupants. Rest nine hostels too have working women staying in them below capacity. According to information, Women and Child Development Department have constructed 14 hostels for working women with a housing capacity of 569. Presently only 157 women are staying in these hostels. Hostels at Chamba, Hamirpur, Mandi, Nahan and Theog have a housing capacity of 35 working women each. However, no working women is making use of the facility in these five hostels and they wear a deserted look. Not only this, hostels at Kangra, Hamirpur and Una have failed to cross the double digit mark as far as occupancy is concerned. Experts say that constructive use of these buildings could be ensured if they are handed over to colleges, schools or hospitals. Students from far flung areas who are pursuing nursing, ITI or other educational courses could stay in these buildings. The department officials say that hostel facility is provided to any working women if one applies for the same. Additional Director at Social Justice and Empowerment Department Dalip Negi told that the municipal corporation is running the working women hostel at Shimla whereas at rest of the places, it is managed by the department. Hostels were opened for working women but they are not showing interest in it, he added.

Lack Of Basic Facilities

Main objective of the department behind construction of working women hostels is to provide residential facilities to working women at cheaper rates. After construction, the department hands over these hostels to the local bodies that can run these hostels properly by providing boarding and food facilities at nominal charges. However due to limited budget, local bodies are failing to provide basic facilities in these hostels. As a result working women are avoiding these hostels.

Need in Industrial Areas

Experts say that department has opened hostels for working women at places where they were least required. Need of such hostels is felt at industrial places in Himachal. And the department has not constructed any hostel facility in major industrial areas of Himachal Pradesh like Baddi, Barotiwala, Mehatpur, Kala Amb, Paonta Sahib, Tahliwal and Shoghi.

District wise Situation

Location           Capacity           Present  Situation

Chamba           35        0

Kangra 35        4

Hamirpur          35        0

Kullu    35        7

mandi   35        0

Nahan  35        0

Parwanoo         35        29

Shimla  35        9

Sanjauli            40        38

Solan    35        14

Theog   35        0

Una      35        2

Bilaspur            52        25

Palampur          92        29

Total    569      157

Himachal-o-Meter

The state’s ups and downs this week

Air Connectivity To Shimla To Resume From Next Month

Shimla: The air connectivity to queen of hills Shimla will resume after a gap of over four and half years with the Director General, Civil Aviation, indicating start of two flights daily under the Domestic Summer Schedule from March 26, 2017. As per the latest schedule issued by the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) for regions with poor connectivity, there is a proposal to start two ATR-42 flights from Shimla from March 26 to October 28, 2017 which is the main tourist season for Himachal. The other cities which will get these special flights during this period include Shillong, Silchar and Srinagar. The Himachal Tourism and Civil Aviation Department too has signed an agreement with the Union Civil Aviation Ministry and Airport Authority of India (AAI) last month to enhance affordable regional connectivity. All the necessary works at the Jubbarhatti airport, including repair of 300 feet of sunken portion of the runway, providing refueling facility and shifting of mobile towers, had been completed. As such the airport, which has occasional chartered flights, is ready for regular commercial flights.

Five Killed As SUV Falls Into 400 Feet Deep Gorge Near Barot

Baijnath: Five youth were killed when their Toyota Fortuner rolled down 400 feet deep gorge at Dhaman in the remote Chhota Bhangal region of Kangra district. The deceased have been identified as Subhash Chand, a resident of Trifalghat village of Sarkaghat, Ajay Kashayp from Mandi, Ashok Singh from Sujanpur Tira and Amit Sharma of Balokhar in Hamirpur district. Fifth victim Rohit Siwal hailed from Shyamnagar, Haapur, Gaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. They worked as medical representatives in Mandi and Hamirpur districts and were on an excursion to Barot with their Gaziabad friend. The youths were returning to Barot from Bara Gram when their SUV skidded off the snow-covered narrow road and fell into 400 feet deep gorge. Kangra Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Gandhi said the driver of the vehicle lost control on a sharp curve. A case under Sections 279 (rash driving) and 304A (causing death by negligence) has been registered.

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