Hyderabad: In a spirited celebration marking what many students are calling a “Diwali gift,” welfare hostel students rejoiced at the government decision to increase their diet and cosmetic charges.
Secretary of TSWREIS, Alugu Varshini, thanked Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, on behalf of the society community, saying, “This enhancement will significantly improve the health and well-being of our students and will enable us to uphold higher standards in our institutions.”
Minister Ponnam Prabhakar joined the celebration at the government BC Residential School in Sharmanagar, Karimnagar. He celebrated Diwali alongside students, cutting a cake and interacting with the hostellers.
Speaking on the occasion, Prabhakar said that the Congress government was in the forefront of addressing the needs of students, noting that despite inflation affecting the cost of essential items, the BRS administration had not revised these charges for years.
“Ours is a people’s government, and we’re committed to the welfare of our students,” he said, emphasising the Congress’ dedication to improving educational facilities.
Prabhakar listed further challenges that the Congress government is trying to resolve. Of the 1,020 residential school buildings in Telangana, only 320 are housed in government-owned facilities.
“The government recently cleared 50 per cent of the pending rent payments by releasing Rs 100 crore, addressing delays that had spanned over 50 months,” he noted and added that the Congress administration has ensured payment of salaries to government employees on the first of every month.
In Hyderabad, minister Dr Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka) met the Chief Minister and thanked him for enhancing diet and cosmetic allowances. Seethakka said that this change was long overdue. She told the media, “For the first time, welfare and Gurukul students are seeing a meaningful increase in diet and cosmetic charges. They remained neglected for over seven and 16 years, respectively.”
Seethakka said that, due to the rising costs of food and essentials, students had previously faced hardships, often going to bed on half-empty stomachs.
“This decision would not only ensure nutritious meals for students but also improve their quality of life by covering necessary hygiene products,” she said.
The minister also spoke about the inadequacies left unaddressed by the BRS government, stating that for a decade, it had failed to improve basic amenities such as toilets and essential infrastructure in schools.
