Hassan Minister Orders Relocation of Morarji Desai School from Rented Godown

Following complaints about the lack of basic amenities at a Morarji Desai Residential School in Shantigrama, Hassan taluk, Excise Minister K.M. Shivalinge Gowda has instructed the Social Welfare Department to relocate the institution to a more suitable building at the earliest.

The school, which currently houses 172 students including 80 girls, has been operating from a private godown for the past four years. Construction of its own building remains incomplete. The same space serves as a classroom during the day and turns into a dormitory and dining hall at night. Students do not have cots due to space constraints, and the number of washrooms is insufficient for the student strength.

Minister Gowda, who also holds charge of Hassan district, issued the directive during a Praja Seva meeting in Hassan on Saturday. He took note of media reports highlighting the poor conditions and asked Deputy Director of the Social Welfare Department, Dood Peer, to ensure the shift happens quickly. Peer assured the Minister that a suitable building would be identified within a week.

Speaking to the media, Peer explained that the government had earlier identified land for the school in Shantigrama hobli, but local resistance prevented construction. An alternative plot was later found, and the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society has awarded the construction contract. The new building is expected to be completed in three to four months, and students should move into the independent facility by the next academic year.

Peer admitted that the rented building lacks necessary facilities but said no other building was available in the hobli at the time of allotment.