Hyderabad, Nov. 23: When Telangana was formed in June 2014 after a six-decade-long struggle, its joyous people had given credit to twin factors: K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who spearheaded the agitation with his Telangana Rashtra Samithi, and the Osmania University student community that kept up the fight.

Two and a half years on, the contrast between the two in terms of enjoying statehood benefits could not be starker.

Chief minister KCR is getting set to move in to Pragathi Bhavan, his lavish residence-cum-office estimated to have cost nearly Rs 50 crore, tomorrow. But some of the brightest Osmania minds will have to keep biding time in dilapidated university hostels that could soon get too dangerous for living.

Take, for instance, the Mini Tech hostel with its crumbling walls, damaged asbestos roof, falling ceilings, stinking and largely non-functional toilets, exposed electricity wires and fuses, worn-out paint, cobwebs.... The living conditions are so pathetic that students often have to get bucketfuls of water from other hostels and bathe in the open.

"These loose wooden slabs (used as a false ceiling) can fall on our heads anytime. When it rains, water seeps through the ceiling and walls and the floor becomes a pool. These are the conditions in which we are living and studying," said Kumar, an MTech student.

Mini Tech is just one of several decaying residential blocks in the university that is due to celebrate its centenary next year. An adjacent facility, called Hostel E, was originally used as a stable for the horses of the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Osman Ali Khan. Hostel A had to be shut down earlier this year because it had become too dangerous for living.

"Our Mini Tech hostel has been in this crumbling condition for many years. Our seniors, super seniors and their predecessors told us they struggled and suffered like we are doing now," said Deepak, who is doing his BTech in chemical engineering.

Some 10km from the university, however, Pragathi Bhavan is being given the final touches for the ceremonial entry of KCR and his family at 5.22am tomorrow.

The lavish camp-office that sprawls over a nine-acre plot in Begumpet comprises three blocks. The 40,000sqft residential block has six bedrooms, a visitors' lounge, a chamber for the chief minister, a dining hall, a gymnasium and a home theatre.

The 50,000sqft office block consists of a mega chief ministerial chamber, a conference room to accommodate 50 persons, space for members of the chief minister's office and a visitor's lounge. A multipurpose block of 15,000sqft will have a meeting hall that can seat about 1,000 people.

Sources said the built-up space in the complex would be 1.5 acres. The remaining 7.5 acres would be used for landscaping, internal roads and parking space for 300 vehicles.

"The initial estimate for the project was Rs 33 crore but the actual expenditure has shot up. I can't confirm whether it will be Rs 50 crore or higher (as work is still going on)," Ganapathi Reddy, the chief engineer of roads and buildings department, told The Telegraph.

"The residential block is ready and will be occupied by the chief minister's family tomorrow morning. But the office block will take another week for completion."

KCR's present residence-cum-office is adjacent to Pragathi Bhavan. It was built in 2005 during the term of Congress chief minister Rajasekhara Reddy at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore.

Reports say KCR moved into the residential block of the old camp-office very reluctantly. He is said to consider the complex as jinxed on account of what happened to his predecessors.

Reddy died in a chopper crash while occupying the complex; K. Rosaiah, who then took charge, was soon shunted out; and Kiran Reddy, the replacement, had a turbulent time dealing with the Telangana agitation followed by an unceremonious exit from political life.

KCR has also been wanting to demolish the state secretariat, which is close to the Hussain Sagar lake, and build a Vaastu-compliant one that would bring prosperity to Telangana. He has been staying away from the secretariat save for attending the occasional cabinet meeting.

Last year, he had hit upon the new camp-office idea after consulting his spiritual gurus and Vaastu experts. An IAS officers' club and some other buildings had to be razed to make way for Pragathi Bhavan.

"KCR realised that the old structures were not compliant with his Vaastu beliefs. At the same time he wanted his imprint on Telangana, in a break from Andhra rulers of the past. This is profligate expenditure resulting from the chief minister's obsessions," Jinka Nagaraju, a senior journalist and political analyst, said.

The government has yet to decide what will become of the old camp-office after the chief minister moves out, a roads and buildings department official said.

"The TRS came to power on the promise of a socialist Telangana but for KCR, the people's needs are of least priority. Even midday meal bills are not being paid in village schools," claimed Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, the working president of the Telangana Congress.

"My information is that the new camp-office cost about Rs 200 crore," he said.

Although Pragathi Bhavan was readied in the last nine months, KCR's government has been sitting on an Osmania University proposal to build a new hostel in place of Mini Tech for over a year.

The varsity had sought Rs 20 crore to build the new hostel, add floors to two existing ones and carry out repairs at other hostels.

"We are fully aware of the condition of the hostels and had sent a proposal of Rs 20 crore over a year back. We are awaiting funds from the state government to start the work," S. Ramachandram, the vice-chancellor of Osmania University, said.

The money has been sought under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, a centrally sponsored scheme with 60 per cent funding from the Centre and 40 per cent from the state.

But the students staying in Mini Tech hostel are not hopeful. "We have been listening to this new-hostel-will-be-built story for several years," a student said cynically.

Other students got agitated at the mention of KCR's new mansion.

"Many students, including one from our hostel, have sacrificed their lives for Telangana statehood. But look at how we are still living here while KCR has built a nice bungalow for himself," Mahesh, a student, said.

"It is high time KCR starts giving importance to students and the education sector."