Upkeep, security at govt colleges to be outsourced

Chennai

The move to bring in private parties to deploy sweepers, scavengers and security personnel came after repeated complaints that the institutions run by government fared poorly despite spending several crores every year.

A senior Higher Education Department official told DT Next that though government made provisions and improvement of basic amenities such as drinking water facilities, furniture and other equipment to the colleges a cost of Rs 100 crore every year, it was found that most colleges do not have staff to keep the campus clean. Moreover, there are also complaints that some college campuses were being used by miscreants in the night.

Now, the Directorate of Collegiate Education has been entrusted with the task of appointing the private agency.

“There is no floor sweeping staff in many colleges. We have even received complaints from parents that some colleges do not even have dustbins,” the official said.

This is true even for colleges in the capital city. The official admitted that several government educational institutions in Chennai, including Presidency College, Queen Mary’s College, Bharathi Womens College, Quaid-e-Millath Government College for Women, Government Arts College for Men in Nandanam, Dr Ambedkar Government Arts College, Government Arts and Science College in Perumbakkam,  Government Arts and Science College in RK Nagar, Lady Wellingdon Institute of Advanced Study in Education, Institute of Advanced Study in Education in Saidapet, were functioning without proper staff to clean the campus.

The college hostels too were maintained poorly, the official said, noting how many colleges did not have security staff especially during night. “During the first phase, about 600 staff, which include sweepers, scavengers and watchmen, will be appointed through an agency,” he said. There are about 300 government colleges and 162 government aided colleges functioning across the State.