In a significant move to bolster student welfare, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announced on Monday that ₹60 crore has been allocated from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. This fund is specifically designated to cover emergency requirements for BC, SC, ST, and minority welfare hostels throughout the state.
According to a release from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the allocated funds will be utilized for crucial expenses such as diet charges within the hostels, payment of salaries for temporary staff, motor repairs, and other immediate operational needs in residential hostels.
During a comprehensive high-level review of all welfare departments, the Chief Minister personally handed over cheques amounting to ₹60 crore to senior officials representing the respective departments.
Chief Minister Reddy emphasized the importance of integrating technology into welfare hostels to enhance the quality of education. He issued directives for the implementation of facial recognition systems for both students and staff, including teaching and non-teaching personnel, in every hostel. He underscored that robust accountability and complete data availability are essential for the effective management of hostels and for achieving positive academic outcomes.
Furthermore, Reddy instructed officials to develop a dedicated mobile application for the regular monitoring of food quality served to students. He stressed the need to adopt various measures to ensure that students receive nutritious meals that are rich in essential nutrients and calories.
The Chief Minister also reviewed the distribution process for uniforms and books for hostel students, directing officials to ensure that details regarding hostel management and available accommodation facilities are updated on a daily dashboard.
Highlighting the critical aspect of student health, Reddy proposed the establishment of a comprehensive network that links hostels with government and private medical colleges, community health centers, and area hospitals in every district. Officials were tasked with organizing regular medical camps within the hostels and ensuring the availability of doctors for any emergencies.
District collectors and additional collectors were also instructed to conduct frequent visits to hostels to ensure that students are provided with enhanced services.
In a forward-looking initiative, Reddy suggested the implementation of a 24-hour online doctor hotline and the utilization of educational technology to aid students in their preparation for competitive examinations.
He also stated that the services provided to hostel students should be actively communicated through social media channels to effectively counter any misinformation or false propaganda.
To ensure streamlined administration and efficient hostel management, the Chief Minister directed Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao and Special Chief Secretary of Welfare Departments Sabyasachi Ghosh to prepare and submit a detailed action plan. This plan should encompass scholarships, staff salaries, diet charges, construction costs, other expenses, payment of dues, monthly operational costs, and the total financial requirement for the welfare hostels.
The announcement was attended by State BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, SC, ST, and Minority Welfare Minister Adluri Laxman Kumar, Chief Minister’s Advisor Vem Narender Reddy, State Government Advisor Shabbir Ali, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary V. Seshadri, Chief Minister’s OSD Vemula Srinivasulu, and officials from the BC, SC, ST, Minority, and Disabled Departments.