Udupi: K. Udaykumar Shetty, member of the BJP State Executive Committee said on Friday that there were massive irregularities in purchases of items for government hostels in the State.

The irregularities in the purchases of items in government hostels for Dalits, backward classes and minority communities had been brought out by the Legislature Committee headed by the Congress legislator, P.S. Narendra Swamy. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should order a judicial probe into irregularities and take action against the guilty, he told reporters.

The BJP had conducted its own study on the condition of government hostels for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and backward classes, government women hostels and government residential schools across the State.

The conditions in these hostels were poor. They had been subject to continuous negligence in the last five years. There were no wardens in 377 hostels, while there were no proper toilets in 381 hostels. Students live in pathetic conditions.

As many as 565 hostels were not fit for residing, while 331 hostels had no store-rooms. As many as 336 hostels did not have proper bathrooms, while hot water for bath was unavailable in 1,106 hostels. There was no proper drinking water supply in 498 hostels, while 666 hostels had inmates in excess to their sanctioned strength.

As many as 352 hostels did not provide lunch, while 1,183 hostels did not have beds, bedspreads and blankets. As many as 32 SC/ST hostels and 169 other backward classes hostels did not provide breakfast, while 51 hostels did not provide dinner.

Nearly 26% of SC/ ST hostels and 38% of OBC hostels did not have their own building and were operating from rented premises. The bathrooms and toilets in nearly 67% of hostels in Mr. Siddaramaiah’s home district, Mysuru, were in poor condition.