200 working women living in a government-built hostel are forced to vacate the hostel in Ranchi. The women are pressured to leave the hostel under the pretext of repairs, and repeated notices are being sent to them. These poor working women have no alternative accommodation option, and women from different parts of Jharkhand are residing in this hostel.
Under the name of renovations, a woman said that this hostel will be handed over to a private organization called Sakhi Niwas. They were asked to sign the blank paper that was later used as consent to hand over the hostel to a private organization.
Most of the women are working in private shops, small jobs, domestic help, or medical stores, and have a monthly income from Rs 5000 to Rs 7000. If the hostel is handed over to a private organization, then there will be a 15 percent rise in the hostel rent.
The women said that they cannot afford to rent a lodge or room, and the rent is huge, and there are also elderly women living in the hostel who won't have a place if they vacate this hostel. Women residing in the hostel said that they are pushing the women into homelessness. They say if repairs are really needed, they can stay in one part of the hostel, and repairs can continue in another part. MLA Arup Chatterjee has supported the women and said that the delegation led by him will meet relevant officials and the CM to present their demands. The women said that if the issue isn't resolved, they will start to protest.