Secretary, Social Welfare, Cooperatives and Tribal Affairs, Dr Farooq Ahmad Lone, today chaired a meeting of officials of Tribal Affairs Department to review the construction of hostels for Schedule Tribes (ST) students in various districts of the State.The meeting was attended by Director Tribal Affairs Mohammad Rafi, Director Finance Dr SK Sen, Special Secretary M. S. Choudhary, Deputy Secretary Vivek Modi, Assistant Director Sushil Gupta and other concerned officials of Tribal Affairs Department.While asking the officials to work with added dedication, Dr Lone said that the schemes being implemented for the uplift of the scheduled tribe and other weaker sections of the society by the Department holds great significance.Director Tribal Affairs informed Dr Lone that the Department is currently constructing 20 hostels in various districts of J&K to provide the residential facilities to students belonging to Schedule Tribes. He informed the meeting that the work is going in full swing.A 50-bedded hostel constructed at the cost of Rs 3.43 crore in Gaddi Siipi in Udhampur stands completed and has been opened for functioning.It was informed that an 80-bedded ST Hostel at Degree College, Kargil being constructed at the cost of 2.93 crore and 75-bedded Boys ST hostel at Boys Degree College in Handwara, Kupwara, being constructed at the cost of Rs 3.01 crore stands completed.
He further informed the meeting that 120-bedded Girls Hostel at Zangli Kupwara, 100-bedded Girls and Boys ST hostel at Baramulla, 100-bedded Girls and Boys ST hostel at Samba and Boys ST Hostel at Chatroo in Kishtwar will be completed by March 2019.However, he informed, the other hostels which are under various states of completion shall be completed in a time-bound manner.The under-construction hostels include 100-bedded ST hostel in Bandipora, 100-bedded ST hostel in Shopian, 100-bedded ST hostel at Meira in Rajouri, 100-bedded PG hostel for ST students in Srinagar, 100-bedded girls and boys hostel Kotranka in Rajouri, 100-bedded ST girls hostel in Srinagar, 100-bedded ST girls hostel in Poonch, 100-bedded ST girls hostel in Reasi, 100-bedded ST hostel for boys in Ramban, 100-bedded ST firls hostel in Udhampur, 50-bedded girls and boys hostel at Mahore in Reasi, 100-bedded girls and boys hostel in Kulgam and ST girls and boys hostel in Kalakote Rajouri.Dr Lone directed the concerned officials to maintain the highest standard of constructions and said that there should be no compromise on the quality of material used in it. He further asked the officials to complete all the pending documental works so that no work suffers and are completed on time.