CHENNAI: Reacting to Chief Minister MK Stalin's announcement to rename student hostels after ‘social justice’, BJP leader K Annamalai on Monday criticised the move, terming it a superficial exercise that ignores the dire state of student welfare infrastructure in the state.
In a social media post, Annamalai said, "Student hostels across Tamil Nadu are in deplorable condition — lacking proper maintenance, clean drinking water, hygienic toilets, and nutritious food. Repeated complaints from students have gone unheard."
He cited government data stating that 98,909 students are housed in 1,331 hostels managed by the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department, with an allocation of Rs 142 crore for food.
"This translates to an average spend of just Rs 39 per student per day — far below the claimed Rs 50 daily allowance. Even that figure is meagre, and despite repeated appeals to raise it to Rs 5,000 per month, the Chief Minister has remained indifferent, " he said.
Annamalai further accused the DMK government of consistently returning unutilised Central funds meant for Scheduled Castes and Tribes, instead of investing in upgrading hostels and schools.
Referring to the 2023 roof collapse of a student hostel in Ayakudi, which left five injured, he said, "While hostels crumble, the government prioritises tokenism."
He also pointed to the sharp rise in the department's advertising spend — from Rs 1.65 crore in 2023–24 to Rs 11.48 crore in 2024–25 — alleging that the focus was more on image-building than real reform.