Mangaluru, (The Hindu): It is over a month since the final year diploma student Yashpal (name changed as requested), a native of Hassan, at the Government Karnataka Polytechnic here started staying in a paying guest (PG) accommodation in Bejai. He is finding it hard to pay ? 5,000 per month towards boarding and lodging.

The condition of his classmate, Amit (name changed), a resident of Karwar, is no different as he too has been forced to stay in a paying guest accommodation in Yeyyadi.

Yashpal and Amit are among the 60 students from the polytechnic who are desperately waiting for the completion of the renovation work on one of the two old hostels.

The work, which started last year, is yet to be completed and this has forced the boys to look for paying guest accommodation near the college.

As one hostel block is under renovation and the other closed, boys at the polytechnic do not have hostel facility now, though their classes commenced on July 3 itself. However, girl students have hostel facility.

These 60 boys are among the 120 who availed themselves of hostel facility last year. The college authorities informed them of the delay in allotment this year when the students returned to college on July 3 after their annual vacation.

Among those who found it hard to find PG accommodation included Yashpal. “I was informed soon after I landed with my luggage here on July 3. It took a week for me to get a PG accommodation,” Yashpal said. He has taken up part-time job in a catering unit to meet the increase in his expenses. Like Yashpal, there are students hailing from Belagavi, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Mysuru and Honnavar who faced difficulty in getting a PG accommodation.

While promising early completion of the renovation work, college principal Babu Devadiga told The Hindu that the government has spent ? 90 lakh to renovate one of the two old hostel blocks. “The plumbing and electrical works are being done. We hope to finish it by this month-end,” he said.

No cook, watchman

A lecturer from the college said that the renovated hostel also needs two cooks and a watchman for which there are no grants. “We have to either bear this expense ourselves or ask students to pay,” he said. Hostel aspirant Uday (name changed) says that the State government should make the arrangement.

Mangaluru City South MLA J.R. Lobo said that he would shortly visit the polytechnic and resolve the issue of delayed renovation work, though the polytechnic is not under his Assembly constituency. “If there is a need for additional grants, I will certainly get it and bring an end to the problems of the students,” he promised.