Revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy eating lunch with students. (Image: @mpponguleti on X)
Khammam: Revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said that the government has introduced a new common diet menu in residential schools to ensure that students receive nutritious meals conducive to both physical and psychological development.
Speaking at the launch of the Common Diet Menu at the Tribal Welfare Residential School for Boys in Mahamadapuram village, Tirumalaipalem mandal, the minister said that the state government has increased mess charges by 40 per cent and cosmetic charges by 200 per cent. While these measures will place an estimated ₹500 crore burden on the state exchequer, the Congress government views this not as a financial strain but as a crucial responsibility. The revised menu, prepared in consultation with nutritionists, is designed to support the students’ overall growth and well-being.
The Minister emphasised that the government aims to provide quality education to the underprivileged that is on par with that available to wealthier students in corporate schools. The Congress government, he said, gives equal priority to education and health, with ongoing efforts to strengthen both sectors.
Reddy also criticised the previous BRS government’s claims of investing ₹1.21 lakh per student for education and accommodation in residential schools, pointing out that many of these institutions were housed in makeshift facilities, such as disused poultry farms and rice mills.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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