62 deaths in Gurukuls, welfare hostels during BRS regime: Seethakka
Hyderabad: Minister Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka) on Wednesday revealed that 62 deaths had been reported in government residential schools and welfare hostels across the state during the tenure of the BRS regime.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, she added that 26 such deaths had been reported last year under the Congress government.
Seethakka made these remarks during a short discussion on improving infrastructure facilities in Gurukulams and government schools. She urged all political parties to refrain from politicising the issue of student deaths and called for collective efforts to prevent such tragedies.
Highlighting recent steps taken by the Congress government, Seethakka said diet charges for students in Gurukulams and welfare hostels had been increased by 40 per cent, while cosmetic charges were raised by 200 per cent. "For eight years, the previous BRS government did not hike mess charges. This led to contractors compromising on food quality, which often resulted in food poisoning incidents. We have now addressed this by implementing a new diet menu to ensure nutritious meals for students daily," she explained.
AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, while supporting the increased allocations, expressed concerns that the hikes were insufficient given the current inflation rates. He pointed out that students from Class III to Class VII receive just ₹1,330 per month for mess charges, amounting to ₹44.33 per day.
"How can quality food be provided three times a day with ₹44.33 per day? Similarly, students from Class 8 to Class 10 get ₹51.33 daily and those in higher education receive ₹70 per day. These amounts are inadequate for providing nutritious meals," Owaisi said.
Owaisi also criticised the meager allocations under the mid-day meal scheme in government schools. "Class I to Class V students get ₹6.19 per day, Class VI to Class VIII students ₹9.29, and Class IX to Class X students ₹11.79. A single egg costs ₹7 today. How can quality meals be provided with such low funding?" he questioned, urging the government to take the matter seriously.
Both leaders agreed on the importance of addressing food quality and infrastructure issues in government institutions to prevent further tragedies and ensure the well-being of students.