VIJAYAWADA: More than 3,000 gurukuls (residential schools) and hostels in the State will be revamped at an estimated cost of Rs 3,364 crore under the Nadu-Nedu programme and development works worth Rs 1,500 crore will be taken up in the first phase, said Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Holding a review meeting with the women and child welfare department officials on Friday, the Chief Minister directed them to take up the first phase of work from January and they should be completed within one year. The total revamp of gurukuls and hostels will be taken up in three phases to ensure that the inmates do not feel like they are imprisoned.
“It is our responsibility to ensure a good and conducive atmosphere for children in residential schools and hostels. Most of the children studying in the institutions hail from poor families. Hence, it is more important that they are provided with better facilities to enable them to continue their studies in a better manner. At no point of time, they should feel neglected and say facilitates are not good,” he asserted.
He instructed the officials not to compromise on the provision of beds and other facilities to children in gurukuls and hostels. The beds and other things should be designed in accordance with the hostel building. Emphasis should be laid on the modernisation of kitchens in gurukuls and hostels. Every kitchen should have the 10 essential things. The functioning of residential schools and hostels should be constantly monitored at the mandal level. The vacant posts of 759 welfare officers and 80 caretakers should be filled up at the earliest, he asserted.
The Chief Minister gave his nod for the appointment of 171 hostel welfare officers for tribal gurukuls. Further, he instructed them to focus on the recruitment of class IV employees for post-matric hostels. The phone numbers for redressal of grievances should be prominently displayed in all hostels and Anganwadis to enable the inmates to lodge complaints if any, he said.
Taking stock of Anganwadis, Jagan instructed the officials to ensure that they run on sound lines. The filling up of existing vacancies should enable them to function efficiently. Flavoured milk should be supplied to inmates of all Anganwadis in the State in the next three months. Top priority should be given to the maintenance of hygiene in Anganwadis, he stressed.