The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has flagged serious irregularities in Maharashtra’s student hostel system, revealing that several hostels continued to receive government funding despite having no resident students for years.
According to the Compliance Audit Report 2024 tabled in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly during the monsoon session, six hostels classified as non-functional received a total of Rs 1.62 crore in government grants between 2020 and 2024, exposing significant gaps in monitoring and verification mechanisms within the welfare system.
The audit found that the Department of Social Justice and Special Assistance continued to release funds to these institutions even though they were not housing any students. One of the cases highlighted in the report was the Modikhan Hostel in Jalna district. During inspection, auditors reportedly found the premises locked and in a dilapidated condition with no signs of student occupancy. However, official records continued to show enrolled students and a functioning administration, resulting in the release of government funds over several years. Another hostel in Jafrabad in Jalna district, which was meant to accommodate 24 students, was also found lying vacant despite records indicating operational status. Similar discrepancies were reported at other hostels in Jalna, Buldhana and Latur districts.
The audit report said the release of funds to institutions that existed only on paper pointed to serious shortcomings in oversight and field verification by the concerned authorities. Beyond financial irregularities, the CAG report highlighted deficiencies in infrastructure and basic amenities at government-run and aided hostels across the state. As of March 2024, Maharashtra had 443 government hostels and 2,388 aided hostels with accommodation capacity for more than 1.62 lakh students, including boys and girls. During the audit period, the state spent over Rs 2,300 crore on hostel operations.
Physical inspections conducted by auditors at several hostels revealed the absence of basic facilities such as libraries, dining halls, computer laboratories, CCTV surveillance systems and power backup arrangements. In some cases, students were reportedly forced to sit on the floor during meals due to a lack of furniture and dining infrastructure.
The report also raised concerns over sanitation, drinking water quality, healthcare facilities and food standards in a number of hostels inspected by the audit team. Accessibility issues for differently-abled students were also highlighted. In some hostels, students with disabilities were allotted rooms on upper floors despite existing guidelines requiring accommodation on the ground floor.
The CAG further noted that technology-based monitoring systems were largely ineffective. Although biometric attendance systems had been installed in hundreds of government hostels, only a small number were found to be operational, making it difficult for authorities to accurately track student occupancy.
The audit also pointed to financial management issues, stating that a sizeable portion of funds allocated for hostel operations during 2023-24 remained unutilised. The report noted that the state’s policy of establishing at least one government hostel in every taluka had not been fully implemented, leaving thousands of eligible students without access to accommodation facilities.
Staff shortages were another concern highlighted in the report, with several hostels operating without superintendents and some girls’ hostels reportedly being managed by male officials due to a lack of appointments. The CAG observed that Maharashtra had also fallen short of its target of establishing 500 government hostels by 2020, with only 443 facilities operational by March 2024 despite budgetary allocations being made for expansion.
The findings have raised broader questions about the implementation and monitoring of welfare schemes intended for students from socially and economically disadvantaged communities, with the audit calling attention to the need for stronger oversight and accountability mechanisms.
👉 Click here to read the latest Gujarat news on TheLiveAhmedabad.com