Landlords Lock Telangana's Gurukul School Buildings Over Rent Issues

Hyderabad: Gurukul schools, operating from rented premises, were in turmoil on Tuesday as landlords locked several buildings over nine months of unpaid rent. The sudden closure, which left students and teachers stranded after the Dasara holidays, has drawn severe criticism from student bodies and political leaders, demanding urgent government intervention.

The crisis has impacted areas such as Tungathurti, Bellampalli, Tandur, Warangal, Bhupalpally, Huzurnagar, and Bhuvanagiri, where parents, teachers, and students now await a resolution. Gurukul schools, designed to uplift underprivileged students, now face closure as landlords insist on payment before reopening the doors.

"This was a government mistake. Most government buildings are rented. They should have been more careful. It also shows the state government’s lackadaisical attitude. They make many promises to the underprivileged but fail to deliver," remarked Chinthakayala Jhansi, ABVP state secretary.

The Student Federation of India (SFI) criticised the government for neglecting the education sector. “If the government does not act immediately, the situation will only worsen,” warned RL Murthy, SFI State President.

BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao lambasted the government’s inaction. “There is no education minister, and the Chief Minister, who holds this portfolio, has no time to address students' concerns,” he said. He warned of protests if the government failed to resolve the crisis within two or three days.

A representative from the Ambedkar Students’ Association (ASA) highlighted the deeper implications of the closures, stating, “It is saddening and enraging to know that Gurukul schools are facing this crisis, clearly a lapse on the state’s responsibility. Any chance the most marginalised communities have to make progress is uprooted within every regime.”

The ASA representative stressed the need for greater accountability, adding, “At a time when more funds should be allocated to education, especially for first-generation learners, the lack of funding mocks the very essence of equality. We must ask, who suffers the most when such barriers are created? Which communities are continuously pushed to the margins?”