Bhatti visits Peddapur Residential School after KTR’s demand

Bhatti Vikramarka, who visited the school in Metpalli along with his Cabinet colleague Ponnam Prabhakar, said the deaths of the students were unfortunate, and said an inquiry would be ordered soon after receiving the postmortem report of the students.

Jagtial: Barely 24 hours after BRS working president KT Rama Rao visited the family of a student who died at the Peddapur Residential School on Monday and announced a BRS committee to look into issues plaguing residential educational institutions in the State, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka too rushed to the school on Tuesday and said an enquiry would be ordered into the deaths of two students and how four students had fell sick in the school.

Bhatti Vikramarka, who visited the school in Metpalli along with his Cabinet colleague Ponnam Prabhakar, said the deaths of the students were unfortunate, and said an inquiry would be ordered soon after receiving the postmortem report of the students. Assuring help to the parents of the deceased students, he said apart from ex-gratia, members in the affected families would be given jobs under the outsourcing method in the Gurukul Society as per their educational qualifications.

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The District Collector was instructed to sanction Rs.5 lakh under the Indiramma Housing scheme if the affected families had no house, Bhatti Vikramarka said, adding that as an immediate response, the State government had sanctioned Rs.50 lakh for cleaning up the residential school premises to ensure there was no stagnant water and for improving hygiene, construction of toilets and other facilities.

Funds would be released without delay once they received proposals for construction of permanent buildings, dormitory, dining halls in accordance with the strength of students. Not just the Peddapur school, but all residential schools in the State would be revamped and required funds would be provided, he said, also blaming the previous government for the current situation of residential schools.

The Deputy Chief Minister also instructed the Residential Schools secretary to make available emergency medicines for dog and snake bites as well as paramedical staff. The quality of food and hygiene should be monitored in every hostel and proposals for bed linen required for every student in hostels should be sent, he said, adding that the State government had also decided that once in a month, Ministers, MLAs, MLCs would visit residential schools in their respective areas and have food along with students. Collectors, District Medical Health Officers should also follow the same to understand the problems of students, he said, adding that a committee would be constituted to increase diet charges in line with the price rise of essential commodities.

Following the Deputy CM’s visit, Rama Rao said it was a relief that the Congress government had finally taken action to address concerns of students in Gurukul hostels. He also urged the State government to initiate immediate measures to prevent loss of life and improve the quality of food served in these institutions.

“Glad we have been able to push the Congress government out of its deep slumber that all is well in Gurukul hostels,” he said, pointing out that over 1,000 Gurukuls were established by the previous BRS government.

On Monday, he had visited the family members of Anirudh at Boppapur in Yellareddypet mandal of Rajanna Sircilla and consoled them. Anirudh, a student of Peddapur Gurukul hostel, had died, reportedly due to a snakebite. Rama Rao also expressed concern over a series of deaths of 36 students in the last eight months in different social welfare hostels across the State, and demanded that the government initiate immediate measures to ensure their safety.