A hostel for working Muslim women will come up on Dilkusha Street in Park Circus.

“The state government has cleared the Rs 1.5-crore project, work on which will start soon. The plot, adjacent to the Haj House, is a wakf property,” minority affairs minister Abdus Sattar said. “This will be the first hostel for working Muslim women in the state.”

An official in the minority affairs department said many working Muslim women from the districts had requested senior CPM leaders to build a hostel for them.

“They face problems finding accommodation in the city. Many landlords bluntly told them that they would not let out rooms to working women from a minority community. The women later visited Alimuddin Street and requested party leaders to set up a hostel for them,” the official said.

“A large number of Muslim women from the districts work in government and private offices in the city. We need to encourage them to join the mainstream,” the minister said.

The hostel, to be built by the public works department, will be run by the Wakf Board.

“It will have all amenities, including a canteen. The location is safe as Karaya police station is nearby,” the minister said.

There is now one hostel for Muslim girl students in the city. “The students are from the districts and also from Kashmir. While most are studying in colleges, some have enrolled on management courses,” said an official.