CAG Audit Flags Ghost Hostels and Safety Lapses in 39 Maharashtra Student Hostels
MUMBAI — A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit has exposed major deficiencies in student hostels across Maharashtra, including financial irregularities and the funding of non-functional "ghost" hostels.
The findings, which detailed widespread shortcomings in both government-run and government-aided student hostels, were part of the CAG's report for 2024. The report was officially tabled in the Maharashtra Legislature on July 10, 2026.
The audit covered a two-year period from 2022 to 2024. During this timeframe, auditors conducted physical inspections of 18 government hostels and 21 government-aided hostels across the state of Maharashtra. These physical inspections were aimed at assessing the infrastructure, safety, and financial management of the facilities.
Among the most serious findings in the report was the existence of non-functional "ghost" hostels. The CAG audit revealed that these non-operational facilities continued to receive government funding despite not providing any housing services to students, pointing to a significant misuse of public funds allocated for student housing.
In addition to these financial irregularities, the physical inspections of the 39 hostels highlighted severe infrastructure deficiencies. The audit flagged substandard living conditions for the students residing in these facilities, noting that the poor infrastructure and safety lapses posed direct hazards to the occupants.
According to the report, widespread safety lapses and inadequate infrastructure were identified across the inspected locations. The findings highlighted a general failure to maintain proper housing standards in the state's student housing network.
The tabling of the report in the Maharashtra Legislature has brought these safety lapses and the mismanagement of public funds to light, exposing the substandard living conditions that students have had to endure in these government-run and government-aided hostels across Maharashtra.
