Bhatti Begins Pre-Budget Meetings, Says Education and Healthcare Will Get Top Priority

Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Wednesday said that the state government is giving the highest priority to education and healthcare and will not hesitate to allocate the necessary funds to achieve the best outcomes in these sectors. He said hostel infrastructure would be repaired and that the proposed Ambedkar Knowledge Centres would emerge as a national model for competitive exam preparation.

The Deputy Chief Minister was speaking at a series of pre-Budget meetings held at the Secretariat, where he reviewed the functioning and financial proposals of the minority welfare, BC welfare, transport, irrigation, civil supplies, roads and buildings and cinematography departments. The meetings were attended by ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Ponnam Prabhakar, Adluri Laxman Kumar and Mohammed Azharuddin, along with senior officials.

Bhatti said the government is establishing Young India Integrated Schools with world-class standards to create an inclusive environment where students from all sections of society learn together like one family. He instructed officials to implement biometric attendance systems for students and teaching staff in all welfare institutions and link them to a central control room for continuous monitoring.

He directed that all pending bills relating to welfare hostels and gurukuls be cleared expeditiously and assured that bills submitted without delay would be settled promptly. He also ordered that hostel building repairs be completed at the earliest.

He asked departments to explore the installation of solar power systems on hostel and residential buildings, noting that this would reduce electricity expenditure and potentially generate additional income.

He recalled that the government had already enhanced diet and cosmetic charges for welfare hostels and introduced a new menu, and directed district and state-level officials to conduct regular inspections and, if necessary, stay overnight in hostels to assess conditions.

Secretaries were told to ensure close monitoring through district collectors. Hostel charges are being cleared every three months, and repair bills must be submitted immediately for prompt payment, he said.

Emphasising welfare of backward classes, Bhatti Vikramarka said infrastructure in BC gurukuls would be improved and scholarships would be released through a green-channel system along with diet and cosmetic charges.

He contrasted this with the previous BRS regime, alleging that rent payments for gurukul institutions were delayed earlier but are now being cleared regularly. BC Welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar said new schemes would be introduced to enhance employment opportunities and economic growth among BC communities.

To support rural students preparing for civil services and group examinations, the government plans to establish Ambedkar Knowledge Centres at constituency headquarters.

Classes would be delivered online by top teachers identified from across the country, and the initiative is expected to become a national model. Welfare minister Adluri Laxman Kumar proposed constructing large buildings on valuable SC welfare department lands at Lower Tank Bund and Kachiguda in Hyderabad to create facilities for competitive exam aspirants.

During the review of the minority welfare department, Bhatti instructed officials to prepare budget proposals with clear priorities, careful planning and strict adherence to revenue and expenditure management.

In the irrigation department meeting, Uttam Kumar Reddy underlined the need for crop diversification in view of challenges arising from extensive paddy cultivation and reduced procurement of boiled rice by certain states. Bhatti suggested promoting oil palm and pulses cultivation and strengthening storage infrastructure for agricultural produce.

Referring to the success of the Mahalakshmi scheme providing free bus travel for women in RTC services, Bhatti Vikramarka said funds are being released regularly and the number of buses is being increased. Mahalakshmi cards would soon be distributed door-to-door to women beneficiaries.

Highlighting infrastructure development, Bhatti Vikramarka said road construction works worth over Rs.1 lakh crore are underway across the state under various projects, including those taken up in HAM mode, the Regional Ring Road, the Hyderabad-Vijayawada corridor, the Future City to Bandar Port connectivity and the Raviryala to Srisailam road. Roads and buildings minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy appreciated the deputy chief minister for signing documents to secure a Hudco loan for the Regional Ring Road project.

Bhatti Vikramarka instructed the cinematography department to prepare plans for conducting cultural activities throughout the year, particularly in Hyderabad, to promote arts and culture on a continuous basis.