A CAG audit has exposed widespread irregularities in Maharashtra's government and aided student hostels, revealing fake hostels, misuse of ₹1.62 crore in public funds, poor infrastructure, lack of basic amenities, and safety violations. Despite spending ₹2,321 crore, many hostels remain neglected, while thousands of students continue to be deprived of hostel facilities across the state.

Mumbai: A comprehensive physical inspection and audit conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) over the past two years has exposed severe mismanagement, lack of basic amenities, and financial misappropriation across government-run and aided student hostels in Maharashtra.

Designed to support the education of students from backward and economically weaker sections, many of these facilities were found to be in a state of utter neglect, with some aided hostels turning out to be completely fake. As of March 2024, Maharashtra houses 443 government-run and 2,388 government-aided hostels, catering to 1,21,971 boys and 40,543 girls.

The CAG carried out a direct physical inspection of 18 government and 21 aided hostels, alongside an audit covering the period from 2022 to 2024. Despite the state spending a staggering Rs 2,321 crore on these hostels during the audited period, the ground reality painted a grim picture.

The CAG, in its report submitted to the state legislature on the conclusion of the three-week monsoon session last Friday (July 10), noted a severe lack of essential infrastructure, including dining halls, computer labs, libraries, daily newspapers, televisions, CCTV networks, and power inverters. Regular medical check-ups for students were virtually non-existent. In four locations, students were forced to sit on the floor to eat due to a lack of dining tables and chairs, while a few facilities lacked a dedicated dining space altogether.