Srinagar: Scheduled Tribe girl residents at the Gujjar-Bakarwal Girls Hostel in Doda on Friday (September 4) alleged harassment, verbal abuse and physical mistreatment by the warden. The students also raised serious concerns about food, sanitation and lighting at the school and said government supplies meant for them are not reaching them.The students alleged that girls have experienced fainting spells due to the very disturbing events they describe having faced for nearly two years. They say they filed a complaint with the police against the warden on August 26.The warden, they say, has been suspended. They allege that they had approached the administration with repeated complaints and the issue was never taken seriously.One of the students, Shahida, described to reporters on Friday how the warden, a woman, was allegedly mistreating the hostel residents. “She makes us do her household chores. We cook for her, wash for her and do other work. We have raised these issues with officials, but no one listens to us.”The hostel, established to support girls’ education, has around 108 female student residents from different parts of Chenab Valley. They study in different schools and colleges. Students said that the hostel warden’s behaviour had forced several girls to leave the hostel.“The warden asks the girls to change clothes in front of her. On one occasion, when a girl was changing her clothes, she clicked her pictures and said she had shared those photos with someone from ‘the DC office’. When the girl objected, the warden allegedly abused her,” one of the students alleged before reporters.The girls in the facility alleged that they were not being provided adequate supplies ssanctioned by the government. “We are not getting the facilities that are meant to be provided to us. We are also made to sign documents saying that we have received all the facilities, even when we have not,” she said.Administration orders inquiryThe administration on Friday ordered a detailed inquiry into the complaints highlighted by the students. Speaking to reporters, Deputy Commissioner Doda, Krishan Lal, said he met 20 or 25 of the girls, who brought several issues they face to his attention. These included their complaints about inadequate food, insufficient lighting and other missing facilities in hostel.He said that the administration has formed a committee headed by the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) to verify the allegations and collect facts. The committee will inspect the hostel and examine relevant records, including supply registers, maintenance records and other documents, to determine whether any irregularities or shortcomings occurred.The administration has also ordered weekly inspections and surprise visits to assess the quality of food, cleanliness, lighting and other facilities.“We have repeatedly raised our concerns about the conditions in the hostel with officials, but we feel that our complaints have not been taken seriously,” Nusrat Amin, another student from the hostel, told reporters.Girls taken to hospitalThe girls’ complaints include students falling ill. They said that fellow hostel residents have been falling unconscious at night and report 18 such incidents over the last few days.“Girls who raise their voice against the warden are made to suffer. Some of the girls have fallen unconscious, and we still do not know what exactly is happening to them. The mystery surrounding these incidents has remained unanswered,” Nusrat said.Krishan Lal said several girls were taken to hospital. He said the students were currently doing well and that they had been shifted to hospital on medical advice after a team of doctors had examined them.The administration has also discussed the matter with the Medical Superintendent and said that the allegations of physical assault and harassment by the warden would be examined during the inquiry. The District Commissioner also said that “if the allegations against the warden or teacher are found to be true, appropriate action would be taken in accordance with government rules and orders”.Students stage protestScheduled Tribe students at the hostel staged a protest outside the premises against the warden on the morning of September 4.Thereafter, the deputy commissioner, Doda Senior Superintendent of Police Kartik Shrotriya and Assistant Commissioner, Revenue, Ashraf Parvaiz visited the hostel, met the hostellers and heard their issues.They assured the students that their complaints would be considered in the inquiry. The committee is expected to examine the students’ statements, relevant records and the overall functioning of the hostel before submitting its report.“Any serious lapse or irregularity established during the inquiry will be dealt with as per law and applicable government guidelines,” the deputy commissioner said.Responses to the issues raised by students“We had just come inside the room when one of the girls suddenly fell in front of us. The girls are scared, and some are experiencing anxiety attacks. This issue needs to be investigated because it appears that they want to keep these girls away from education,” said social activist Iqra Chaudhary, speaking to The Wire over the phone from the hostel premises.Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Doda West, Shakti Raj Parihar, also raised concerns over the condition of the girls. He said 25 students from the hostel had been admitted to Government Medical College in an unconscious state.“Today, 25 girls from the Gujjar-Bakarwal girls’ hostel in Doda were admitted to the Government Medical College in an unconscious state. When this came to my attention and I tried to speak with them, I found them unconscious,” Parihar said.He said he had reached out to the Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Tribal Affairs, Javed Rana, to apprise him of the situation and sought an immediate inquiry into allegations regarding harassment by the warden.“I urged him to order an immediate inquiry into the matter and requested that he take immediate action and transfer the concerned individuals. He assured me that an inquiry would be conducted within 12 days, and if any staff member is found to be at fault, strict action will be taken against them,” Parihar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.