The hostel where Md Aziz was a boarder. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, Jan. 6: The deaths of Sayeri Bose and Md Aziz, two school students who used to stay in private hostels, have raised questions about the manner in which they are run.

The hostel authorities, however, said they enforce stringent discipline.

“The boarders are only allowed to go to their schools and colleges. In case the school students need to go anywhere else, they must get permission from their local guardians,” said Bishnu Agarwal, who runs Youth Hostel at Dagapur close to Delhi Public School and has around 30 boarders.

Agarwal said college students were allowed to go to Siliguri or to the markets but they needed to write in detail at the entrance register their destination and the purpose of their visit. “At the hostel, we have television sets, newspapers and arrangements for indoor games to make students feel at home,” he added.

Amita Sharma, whose family has been running Bosco Home off Sevoke Road for over a decade, said school students were not allowed to go out except to their institutions.

Prakash Giri’s girls’ hostel at Dagapur provides accommodation to 25-30 college students from places like Cooch Behar and even Bhutan, Giri said he keeps regular touch with parents and local guardians.

Private hostels may claim that they are secure enough, but local people feel otherwise. “In many of these paying guest accommodations, there are hardly any restrictions,” a schoolteacher from Dagapur-Salbari said. “Often, we hear students returning late. They even party in their rooms with alcohol.”

Police said it was not possible to keep up consistent surveillance.

“The parents select the private accommodations,” Gaurav Sharma, the additional superintendent of police of Siliguri, said. “The hostels have the primary responsibility to ensure the boarders’ safety. We are there to extend help but it is not possible for us to go and visit every private hostel or accommodation.”