VIJAYAWADA: The State government is undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of Backwards Classes (BC) hostels to provide students with education, health, and safety standards on par with corporate institutions.
A new 100-mark grading system has been implemented to assess hostels based on student attendance, academic performance, cleanliness, and other parameters. Wardens of high-performing hostels will be given priority in transfers and promotions.
In a press release, BC Welfare Minister S Savitha S Savithastated that under the leadership of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the government has prioritised hostel development.
As part of this initiative, SR Shankaran Resource Centres have been established in 104 hostels, and Rs 76.38 crore in pending diet charges from the previous administration have been cleared. To improve infrastructure, Rs 13.10 crore has been allocated for hostel repairs, while over Rs 20 crore has been mobilised through District Mineral Foundation (DMF), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions, and other sources.
An additional Rs 18 crore has been invested in cooking utensils and supplies to ensure nutritious meals, including the provision of fine rice. For enhanced transparency and safety, the government has introduced a Facial Recognition System for student attendance, installed CCTV cameras, and set up RO water plants. Sports equipment is also set to be distributed soon. MLAs and MPs such as Bastipati Nagaraju and Kalisetti Appalanaidu have each contributed Rs 1 crore from MPLADS to support the initiative.
Minister Savitha highlighted that initiatives like computer education and Vidya Mitra kits are paving the way for a brighter future for BC students.