Aaqib Khan
Rajouri, Feb 4: A girls hostel constructed in 2018 at Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) Manjakote, Rajouri has remained unused till date, raising serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and the misuse of public funds.
The hostel was built with the objective of providing residential facilities to girl students, especially those from remote and disadvantaged areas. The hostel has a capacity of around 100 beds, and an amount of approximately Rs 2.32 crore has already been spent on its construction and related works.
However, despite the completion of the building several years ago, the hostel has never been made functional for students. Instead, it is alleged that the building has been used for other purposes, completely defeating the purpose for which it was sanctioned and constructed.
The impact of this failure became especially evident during Operation Sindoor, when the education of students was severely disrupted.
As per established administrative norms, the Principal is the custodian of the school campus and all associated buildings, including hostels and other infrastructure. It is therefore the Principal’s duty to ensure that such facilities are used for student welfare and educational purposes.
When this reporter tried to seek information regarding the prolonged non-utilisation of the hostel, the principal declined the same.
Stakeholders have called upon the Education Department to fix accountability, ensure proper utilisation of the hostel, and take appropriate action to safeguard the interests of students.
