Sameer Ahmad
Anantnag: Students of Pahari Hostel in Anantnag District demands new building as the hostel run in rented accommodation with duplicated rooms.
The Pahari hostel in Anantnag District Established and inaugurated by Pahari state Advisory Board in year 2010 at KP Road Anantnag.
The Hostel with intake capacity of 50 boarders is functioning in rented accommodation at KP road Anantnag comprising of 10 rooms include dining hall, and 2 toilet and 5 bathrooms. A tin shed made in the court yard of hostel which the hostel administration uses as kitchen.
Students of the Pahari community and those belonging to the BPL category, orphans and others from remote/undeveloped areas in Anantnag District are living in the Pahari hostel and getting free lodging, food, uniforms, school bags/books, study material and free education.
The hostel was once set ablaze in year 2015 due to short circuit. The Boarding capacity of this hostel is not as much of four districts as the hostel lacks basic infrastructure and run in rented building. Said a student Basharat Ahmad Khan.
Basharat Ahmad Khan who hails from far flung area in south Kashmir area of Anantnag district told to INS that our life is passing misery in hostel as we are living in duplicated rooms added that two years back the VC of this Board came here and assured us to provide us new building but all goes in vain.
We want to admit our wards in hostel but there is not enough space for our child as there is only capacity for 50 boarders. Said Abdul Rasheed Khan a Resident of kapran Anantnag.
It is every parent’s dream that their children’s should educate and make some good official but unfortunately here is only one Pahari hostel for us in south kashmir and there is very less capacity. He added.
The hostel runs in rented accommodation with duplicated rooms and lacks basic infrastructure include sports activities and there is no play ground in hostel.
However when contacted to the Warden of this hostel Imtiyaz Banday said that this Board was established in 1989 by state government. Their purpose was to uplift the Pahari community in socially and economically. I already approached to higher authorities to look into the matter in Anantnag Pahari Hostel but nothing has been done so for.
Meanwhile when contacted to the Vice Chairman of Pahari Advisory Board (VC) Sri Kuldeep Raj Gupta said that in upcoming month we have meeting with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and we will raise this issue with her we are trying best for these students and our board are in process to establish more hostels in south kashmir. He added.
