Tribal students return home as cooking gas shortage hits pre-matric hostel

A delay by officials of the Tribal Department in ensuring the timely supply of cooking gas at a pre-matric hostel in Munnar has forced 65 tribal girls to discontinue their education and return to their settlements.

According to members of the tribal community, the affected students—studying in Classes V to X—belong to remote regions such as Edamalakkudy, Vattavada, Mankulam, Chinnakkanal, and Adimaly. The shortage of cooking gas reportedly disrupted meal preparation for over 15 days. Although hostel authorities attempted to buy some cylinders on their own and using firewood, irregular meal timings eventually alarmed parents, who decided to withdraw their children.

A community member from Edamalakkudy said that families had to spend more than ₹10,000 on vehicle fares alone to transport the children back to their settlements.

“Because there was no gas, students were often not fed until 11 p.m. Officials failed to arrange cylinders on time and are treating tribal students like second-class citizens. Due to this negligence, the children have already lost more than a week of schooling,” the community member alleged.

Meanwhile, Adimaly Assistant Tribal Development Officer Prasad A. said the department usually procures cooking gas from the Kanan Devan Hills Company (KDHP) agency through a credit arrangement.

“Payments are generally made the following month. We believed all dues had been cleared, but the agency stopped the supply citing pending arrears,” he said. Mr. Prasad added that officials attempted to manage the situation by borrowing cylinders from a Model Residential School. However, fearing a complete disruption of food supply, parents took their children home on Monday.

“On Tuesday, I visited the hostel, arranged two temporary cylinders, and released funds for eight more. We are planning to shift to a different agency. The issue has now been resolved, and we are waiting for the students to return. Tribal promoters are currently contacting parents to bring the children back,” he said.

However, sources at the KDHP contradicted the official’s claims, stating that gas distribution was halted only after unpaid dues crossed ₹40,000. “The Tribal Department has not made any payment since November,” a source said.