Hostel for ST women opened in Kochi

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There is good news for women belonging to Scheduled Tribes (ST) who are visiting the city for employment or educational purposes, as they will no longer have to bear high accommodation costs.

A hostel for Scheduled Tribe women, aimed at providing safe and affordable lodging, has been commissioned along K.K. Padmanabhan Road in Division 68 of the Kochi Corporation. The facility was constructed at a cost of ₹6.07 crore from the Kochi Corporation’s Scheduled Tribe Development Fund.

Mayor M. Anilkumar inaugurated the hostel on Monday (November 4). T.J. Vinod, MLA, presided over the function, and Hibi Eden, MP, was the chief guest. The hostel comprises 29 rooms, including 24 double rooms, one single room, and a dormitory. A reasonable tariff has been fixed: ₹200 for a double room and ₹100 for a dormitory bed.

During the 2015–2019 governing committee’s tenure, the building was completed at a cost of ₹4 crore. The current governing committee allocated an additional ₹2.07 crore — ₹1.07 crore for electrification and plumbing, and ₹1 crore for furnishing.

The building was allocated for healthcare workers during the pandemic and later served as the division health circle office, which delayed the completion of the hostel’s final works. The facility also includes a public hall and a library.

Corporation welfare standing committee chairperson C.D. Valsalakumari and other councillors were present at the event.