Status report on appointment of staff to SC/ST hostels in K'taka to be submitted to HC

The state government has assured the High Court of Karnataka that a status report on the appointment of staff to the SC/ST student hostels in certain districts will be submitted after taking the necessary steps.

The submission was made in a public interest litigation that was constituted on its own by the high court based on a report in a Marathi newspaper on December 7 that there was no appointment of staff in these hostels inspite of specific guidelines.

It was noted that in some places a single warden was in charge of three or four government-run hostels.

Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit of the division bench, while acknowledging the media reports on the matter during Thursday's hearing, issued notice to the state government to respond to the allegations raised in the petition.

In addition, the court directed the appointment of advocate Nitin Ramesh as the amicus curiae in the case and ordered the Registrar of the High Court to transfer all relevant documents related to the case for examination.

During the hearing, the court noted that the shortage of staff had adversely affected the quality of education among students, resulting in poor performance in exams.

The court conveyed its concern about the ongoing recruitment of personnel for 200 wardens, indicating that, despite the notification, the government had not made any appointments.

The court expressed apprehension about the challenges the entire system would face when filling vacant positions and emphasised the need for addressing the issue promptly.

It also sought information on whether there is a dedicated authority to bring such vacant positions to the attention of the government from time to time.

The court also indicated its intention to inquire further into the matter when the case is next heard.

The court adjourned the case and the hearing will be taken up after the winter vacation.