Although district administration has placed several safety steps, the government-managed hostel in the Chamarajanagar district is only 60% full, because students refused to join for fear of Covid-19 contracts.
The district has 99 government hostels, where 56 is managed by the Department of Social Welfare, 31 by other backup departments, nine by the Department of Tribes scheduled and the remaining three by the Minority welfare department.
They have a cumulative capacity of 8,670 seats.
Department data is displayed only 1,193 students join the hostel run by the Social Welfare Department, which has a total of 5,845 seats.
In 2019-20, a total of 2,852 students had joined this hostel.
Likewise, only 724 students received in 31 hostels run by other backward class departments, which have a total capacity of 2,705.
Bhagirathi, Deputy Director, Social Welfare Department, said Chamarajanagar, a resigned district, has made enough provisions to accommodate students in hostels.
However, less than half of the seats have been given in recent years.
He said one reason for a big decrease in demand was because many parents preferred to register their children in housing schools such as Kitturu Rani Chennamma, Morarji Desai and Dr.
Br Ambedkar.
Another reason, he said, is parents do not want to send their children to the hostel managed by the state for fear of Covid, especially because experts say the third wave of most influences children.
Parents also encourage their children to study in neighboring districts like Mysuru.
Honnegowda, district tribal officers, said one reason was also because the government opened more schools and colleges at the Hobli and Housing Schools in the villages.
“Students prefer to study at the institution close to homes instead of living in hostels in distant places,” he said.
B Revanna, a class of backward class, said the hostel department is well equipped and the official has placed all the prevention of Covid safety, but only 70% of seats are filled this year.
He said his department made efforts to clear the misunderstanding and fear between parents and students and tried to increase acceptance.