CHENNAI: The yellow buildings seemed to be eroding and there were patterns of white on the walls, formed after the paint had chipped off. Last month’s heavy rain delayed the scheduled repair work of Central Polytechnic (CPT) College Hostel and the Tech Institute Hostel-II of the Polytechnic Institute at Taramani.
The tell tale stains of water having seeped through appeared to have darkened over the years and the cracks seemed to have made their way around the entire building.
The Central Polytechnic (CPT) College Hostel and the Tech hostels looked nothing less than two haunted bungalows. The buildings were surrounded by piles of garbage and the grass formed a carpet on the ground.
The rooms were damp and broken windows allowed mosquitoes to enter. The 50-year-old buildings are in a sorry state for many years. “Though we have given repeated complaints, we have never seen any maintenance work being undertaken,” said Manikam, a student.
The bathrooms in the Tech Institute Hostel-II are in a dilapidated condition with no water. Students are forced to draw the dirty water from the tank and bathe on the terrace. “We pay '2,000 a month only for food, which is tasteless,” said Palani K, a student.
Though CPT hostel bathrooms work just fine and there is no shortage of water, students struggle as a result of the terrible rooms where they stay. The rooms, though small, house a minimum of six students making it impossible for the boys to concentrate on their studies or get any privacy.
Though a few students complained about food, the ‘canteen anna’ thought otherwise. “Due to such complaints, the warden had formed a mess committee. The committee decides the menu and food is cooked according to their requirement,” he said.
“Our college campus and hostel buildings come under the purview of PWD. We have been insisting on repair works for many years. However, no steps have been taken,” said Vice-Principal V.Chandrashekaran.
“We were supposed to start maintenance work last November. However, due to rain it was delayed. As we don’t get funds regularly, the work was on hold,” said Director of Technical Education Institution S.Madhumathi. “We will start the work shortly,” she added.
