* 20 kanal land for Rajouri Girls hostel identified
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 21: On the pattern of Navodaya Vidyalayas in the country, all 24 hostels meant for the children of Gujjars-Bakerwals are being converted into residential schools by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Authoritative sources told the Excelsior that this entire process will be completed in phased manner and in first phase, five Boys and Girls Gujjar-Bakerwal Hostels are being converted into the residential schools in Jammu and Kashmir. They included two hostels of Boys and Girls in Jammu, Boys Hostel at Rajouri, Boys Hostel at Srinagar and a Boys Hostel in Bandipore. These Hostels will have all the modern facilities including sports and recreation activities for the wards of Tribal community within the campus so that they could compete with the children of all the other modern and big schools across the State and outside.
Of the total 24 such hostels for the children of this Tribal community, nine are still functional in the private accommodation/ buildings while rest fifteen have their own buildings. Many Hostels, specially which are in private accommodation lack basic facilities including proper water supply, toilets, bathrooms and spacious rooms for living. There are just six girls hostels of the total 24 in the State and their number has increased during last one decade due to awareness and interest being generated among Tribal girls to study and join schools.
Minister for Tribal Affairs and CAPD, Ch Zulfkar when contacted said that Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs will be funding the project of converting all the existing Gujjar and Bakerwal Boys and Girls Hostels in the State. He said although Tribal children have been provided Hostels by the Government but there is urgent need to raise standard and basic facilities there. Zulfkar said that after taking over the charge of this Ministry, he visited almost all the Hostels and was not happy with the condition and facilities there.
He said at Rajouri, he was pained to observe the condition of Girls Hostel which was in private building. The rooms were shabby and small and there were no proper bath room and toilet facilities. The children used to carry water from the nearby river. It was located within the town near ITI in a small lane. So, he asked the district administration to look for suitable and spacious building and now it has been temporarily shifted to another location just adjacent to Govt Degree College Rajouri. There is 10 kanal area and the living space is also large and hygienic but it is also true that it is little away from the centre of the town.
“Since there was no Govt school nearby, they decided to get these children admitted in a private school up to Class 10th in the same complex and the school fee will be paid by the Tribal Ministry. There will not be any sort of burden on the parents of the children. So it will be first step to covert this girls hostel into the residential school. The rent of this building was fixed by the committee framed by Deputy Commissioner Rajouri after having rent assessment from the R&B department,” Zulfkar said.
Replying to a question, the Tribal Affairs Minister disclosed that for the Gujjar-Bakerwal Girls Hostel Rajouri, 20 kanal land near the town has been identified by the Revenue authorities and Rs 5 crore have been sanctioned for the construction of own building and raising allied infrastructure. He disclosed that the work on this building will be started shortly by the JKPCC and it is hoped that the number of the girls would also increase from existing 75 in the Hostel after the coming up of new building at Rajouri, hopefully within one year.
Giving more details about Union Ministry’s project of converting hostels into residential schools, Ch Zulfkar said Tribal Affairs Ministry would raise building and allied infrastructure while the teaching staff will be provided by the State Education department. For promoting sports activities and providing allied facilities in such schools, the required PETs and coaches will also be provided by the Youth Services and Sports department. He said annually huge funds are provided under Tribal Plan by the Union Government but unfortunately these were not properly utilised for their welfare as this ministry was earlier a part of Social Welfare Department. Now, this new Government realizing the importance has converted it into full fledged ministry. Zulfkar said that he would try his best to convert these Hostels into advanced residential schools with all the modern facilities so that Tribal children could compete with the children of other big schools of the State.
Secretary, State Advisory Board for Development of Gujjars and Bakerwals, Zaffar Poswal said that they still have nine such hostels being run in the private buildings. The accommodation in many of them is not good and sufficient. In the first stage, they have resolved to construct own buildings. Moreover, the Union Tribal Ministry would be providing sufficient funds to convert these Hostels into residential school. This year five buildings have been taken up and next year, again five more Hostels could be taken up. Some new own buildings are being constructed during this financial year and about Rs 1.93 crore have been released recently to raise the facilities in the Hostels, Mr Poswal said.
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