Welfare Institutions to Revamp Procurement Standards
Strict checks, clean kitchens, and better systems to keep students safe and well-fed
Hyderabad: Procurement systems across welfare residential institutions are set to be overhauled, as officials were instructed to adopt stricter quality checks, discard old inefficiencies, and prioritise student safety in every supply decision.
The directions came during a project monitoring unit (PMU) meeting held at the Secretariat on Tuesday, where minority welfare residential schools secretary Shafiullah laid out a fresh map for sourcing essential commodities in the upcoming academic year.
He insisted that tenders must proceed transparently, without procedural shortcuts, and be concluded within a clear timeline. All purchases are to match prevailing market prices, without any compromise on quality.
Citing past food-related incidents, Shafiullah demanded a non-negotiable approach to hygiene and nutrition. Only certified suppliers and approved brands will be allowed to participate in the procurement process. Institutions will be expected to carry out routine inspections, backed by tighter monitoring frameworks.
Shafiullah acknowledged procurement delays and quality issues in previous years and instructed officials to plug those gaps. He said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had set high expectations from the welfare education network and was keeping close track of progress. Departments overseen by ministers Adluri Laxman Kumar and Ponnam Prabhakar are also expected to implement these reforms in coordination with other secretaries.
New mechanisms proposed include setting up oversight committees at both institutional and regional levels, launching a digital tracking and audit system for procurement, and incorporating regular student and warden feedback. Third party quality assessments will be introduced to review supplies before they reach students.
BC welfare gurukul secretary Saidulu and tribal welfare secretary Seethalakshmi shared implementation-related feedback from their respective departments, which will focus on the logistical and operational hurdles they had encountered.
Over five lakh students are enrolled across the state's welfare residential schools. The procurement reforms are being seen as a step towards creating a functional, accountable system where safety and nutrition do not fall through the cracks.