Tribal girl hostellers face career 'black-out'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 09 2011: Many tribal girl students, staying at Adimjati Girls Hostel, with the expectation of having a decent career are being given the rude wake-up calls on a daily basis as erratic power supply is hindering their preparations to face challenges in their future life.

Established in June 2003 with the stated objective of enabling tribal girl students from far-off places to pursue higher studies in a more convenient environment, near total blackout is undoubtedly the biggest problem besetting Adimjati Girls Hostel and its student residents.

Far from serving its purpose, the Hostel at dusk is literally reduced to a place of horror as the girl students have to cope with the load shedding forcing many to retire early to bed rather than concentrate on their studies.

From a humble beginning of only about 50 students in the initial period of its establishment the Hostel today has nearly 110 young girls from all the hill districts of the State but the problem of erratic power supply is said to have been associated from the very beginning.

A girl catches up on her study before dusk sets in

Some of the hostellers informed that study hours are limited to day-time only even though there are exceptional cases of a few students who toil under the candle light.

According to the Hostel Warden Vanda Jajo, the Hostel building was constructed since 1991 by the State's Tribal Development Dept with financial assistance from the Ministry of Tribal Welfare.

Even though construction upto the first floor having a total of 32 rooms has been completed from the initial sanction of Rs 2 crores, proposal to the Tribal Development Department as well as the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh by the Adimjati Shiksha Ashram authorities for adding two tiers more is yet to generate positive response, the Warden maintained and expressed that such added facilities would encourage many more students to stay at the Hostel.

Pointing out that extending the facility should be accorded top priority, she said most tribal students belong to economically weaker section of the society and most family cannot afford rented quarters for their wards.

The fact that educational infrastructure in the hill districts are very poor necessitates even more urgency on the matter, the Warden added.

It is informed that most of the hostellers are from remote areas such as Phungyar, Lousang, Chungka, Bungpa, Thawai and Nung sang villages of Ukhrul district while students of Tamenglong district are from Noney, Khoupum, Tamei etc.

Students hailing from Senapati, Chandel and Churachandpur districts are also from various remote corners where facilities for pursuing higher studies is relatively nil.

With 3-4 students packed in a single room and admission fee of Rs 2700 levied from each of the hostellers in addition to mess fee of Rs 800 every month, staying at the Hostel is considered comparatively cheaper even though the hostellers expressed strong desire that the Government mitigate their most urgent problem of power supply.

Highlighting that in case electricity is ensured atleast after dusk, many of the hostellers expressed anguish that they are transfixed in choosing between studying at daytime and rushing to their respective educational institutions in and around the State capital.