Adluri: BRS Neglected Gurukuls

Addressing a press conference at the CLP office, he said the BRS had no basis to question the Congress government on Gurukuls, alleging that welfare schools functioned from rented premises without adequate facilities. He said the previous government had announced 104 Gurukul buildings but did not complete them.

He said the present government, under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, had initiated construction of 119 integrated residential educational institutions across the state, each planned on 20 to 25 acres with an estimated cost of about ₹200 crore.

Defending the common procurement system, the minister said it had reduced expenditure from ₹806.66 crore to ₹643.13 crore, saving ₹163.53 crore. He said items such as uniforms, school bags, shoes, bedsheets and utensils would be supplied at uniform quality and price across institutions.

“Why does saving ₹163.53 crore of public money bother KTR? Should the government protect contractors’ interests or students’ welfare?” he asked, rejecting allegations of corruption and stating that no agreements had been signed.

He said diet charges for students had been increased after 16 years and cosmetic charges had risen by over 212 per cent. Meals were being designed to provide around 2,200 calories and 40–50 grams of protein daily, based on recommendations of the National Institute of Nutrition. He added that pending bills left by the previous government had been cleared and payments were now being released in the first week of every month.

Citing outcomes, he said Gurukul institutions recorded a 99.12 per cent Class X pass rate and enabled 1,935 SC students to secure seats in professional courses. He added that six candidates cleared the UPSC Civil Services examination, 35 qualified in Group-I, 27 in Group-II and 236 secured State government jobs through SC Study Circles.