NALGONDA: Recalling that the struggle for separate statehood was fought on the plank of social justice, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Sunday went hammer and tongs at the previous BRS government for failing to support the underprivileged.
Addressing a public meeting after performing bhoomi puja for the construction of the Young India Integrated Residential School building at Gaddipally in Huzurnagar constituency of Suryapet district, Vikramarka said that the Congress government has raised diet and cosmetics charges by 40% for students of welfare hostels and residential schools while the BRS neglected this section during its 10-year rule.
Vikramarka said that this will benefit 7.5 lakh underprivileged students. For students from Classes III to VII, mess charges have increased from Rs 950 to Rs 1,330; from Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,540 for Classes VIII to X and for Intermediate to postgraduate students, from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100. Additionally, cosmetic charges for students in Classes III to VII were hiked from Rs 75 to Rs 150, those in Classes VIII to X were increased from Rs 55 to Rs 175.
He said Young India Integrated Residential Schools are being established in every Assembly constituency in the state and will offer students of diverse backgrounds access to sports and English-medium education.
“CM Revanth Reddy and the Cabinet selected an international architect to design similar schools across each constituency. While last year’s residential school budget was Rs 70 crore, this administration has allocated Rs 5,000 crore to integrated school projects, intending to launch them in the next year,” he said.
Vikramarka also discussed progress on the Yadadri Power Plant and the Srisailam Left Bank Canal project, which had stalled under previous leadership. He said that two units of the power plant are now operational, and a timeline has been set to complete the SLBC tunnel within 20 months.