VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said on Wednesday that all government hostels in the state will be modernized under the Nadu-Nedu programme in a year's time, so as to provide good accommodation to students.
The diet and maintenance charges of the hostels will be increased and a separate government fund would be created for the hostels.
The chief minister stated this at a review meeting he held here on welfare hostels. An action plan is needed for integrated development of the SC-ST-BC-Minorities welfare hostels along with Gurukul schools.
During the meeting, the CM told the officials that he has personally seen some of the hostels and they were not in a good condition. More has to be done to improve the conditions there. This year, all Gurukuls and hostels should be modernized on a war footing under Nadu Nedu, he said.
Jagan said, “We have development schools in the first phase under Nadu Nedu. Work is underway for constructing additional classrooms. A similar approach should be adopted for development of welfare hostels and gurukuls, he said.
The CM said that for decades, no one bothered about these hostels and gurukuls. Officials must not only take up the development works for these entities but also devise a system for their smooth functioning. The budget should be increased for this purpose. “Prepare an estimate for good and hygienic conditions, keeping in view the future of the students. Also, set up a maintenance fund on the lines of the school maintenance fund,” he asked the officials.
The chief minister said wardens and other staff should be appointed in all the hostels. A doctor should also be available under the Family Doctor concept. Nutritious diet should be provided to the students and an estimate should be prepared for diet charges, he said.
He stated, “The previous government has increased the charges just before the elections. We have to have permanent buildings made for all these hostels by next year and the condition of the existing hostels should be improved.”
Ministers Venugopalakrishna, Merugu Nagarjuna, Sameer Sharma, finance special chief secretary SS Rawath, BC welfare secretary B Jayalakshmi, social welfare secretary MM Nayak, minorities secretary AMD Imtiyaz and tribal welfare director M Jahnavi were among those present.
