K Chandrasekhar Rao: Every mandal to get residential school

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday said that the state government would set up a residential school in each mandal to provide quality education for the poor, who cannot afford costly private education and pave way for achieving the dream of Bangaru Telangana. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, Mr Rao said that the TRS government had set up nearly 500 residential schools in two years while there were just 300 residential schools in the Telangana region in 60 years in undivided AP.

So far, 584 mandals have residential schools, while the remaining 125 mandals do not. These mandals were created on Dasara last year. The CM’s statement was in response to Congress MLA Komatireddy Venkat Reddy's criticism that residential schools and colleges set up by TRS government lacked basic facilities such as toilets, bathrooms and students were forced to relieve themselves in the open. “The plight of adolescent girls could not be expressed in words for which the government should feel ashamed,” the Congress MLA said.

Mr Venkat Reddy said only the CM's family had got Bangaru Telangana, while all other sections in the state were facing hardships due to the “misrule of the TRS government.” “Residential schools were started two years ago. Why could the government not construct toilets and bathrooms so far, let alone buildings when the CM can construct the sprawling Pragathi Bhavan within nine months,” Mr Venkat Reddy asked. This showed that the government was interested only in irrigation projects, Mission Bhagiratha etc because they get huge commissions from contractors, he alleged.

The CM replied, “Bangaru Telangana cannot be achieved overnight. We are making steady progress towards this goal by reforming all the sectors. Residential schools are a step forward in this direction.” Mr Reddy said even the hostel students in Osmania University, which is in the heart of the city, relieve themselves and and take bath in the open and the CM’s announcement of '100 crore grant for the university for its centenary celebrations remained only on paper. The CM said, “The people in Telangana state are already experiencing Bangaru Telangana. If Opposition parties cannot see this, it’s their problem. We are helpless.”

5 vie for one seat, Rs 1 lakh is spent on each student:

The state government on Thursday told the Legislative Assembly that there was huge demand for seats in newly-established 500 residential schools in English medium. Minister for SC welfare G. Jagadish Reddy said five students were competing for each seat and the government was spending Rs 1.02 lakh on each student per year on par with corporate schools by providing free hostel, mess, uniforms, textbooks, library and sports facilities.

He said a majority of the students who took admission in these schools were from private schools and there was huge demand from parents and public representatives to set up more schools. Mr Reddy said as part of the KG-to-PG free education scheme promised by the TRS in election manifesto, the government has started residential schools to cover all the mandals.

He said the new schools were different from those set up in undivided AP. “There was no staff, quality food, teaching standards etc then. Students used to flee from these schools. Our schools are equipped with standards that corporate schools can boast of. All this is offered free,” he said. “Over 2.81 lakh students took admissions in these schools. We are spending Rs 17,347 crore on these schools in the next five years. Due to paucity of time, these schools were started from rented buildings. The permanent buildings on sprawling campuses will come up by next year in all mandals,” Mr Reddy stated. He said the schools have been started from Class VI.