HYDERABAD: Telangana Legislative Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar has stressed the importance of ensuring nutritious and quality meals for students residing in government hostels. He urged wardens to treat the students as their own children and prioritize their well-being.
Speaker Prasad Kumar, along with Legislative Council Chief Whip Patnam Mahender Reddy, District Collector Prateek Jain, Additional Collectors Lingya Nayak and Sudheer, and Assistant Collector Uma Harathi, distributed cooking equipment worth ₹25 lakh to wardens of 104 SC, ST, BC, Minority, Government, and Gurukul hostels in the district on Friday.
Lauding the District Collector’s efforts in mobilizing funds for hostel facilities, the Speaker assured that he would take the initiative to secure additional funds from the government to further enhance hostel infrastructure. He highlighted that the Telangana government has allocated over 7% of the state budget to the education sector, emphasizing its commitment to improving educational facilities.
As part of the state’s efforts to improve hostel conditions, the government has recently increased diet charges by 40% and cosmetic charges by 200%, ensuring students receive quality food and hygiene products. Currently, around 8 lakh students reside in government hostels and Gurukuls.
Regular inspections are being conducted by legislators, the District Collector, and senior officials to ensure adherence to the prescribed menu and the use of fine rice in meal preparation. The government has also introduced free electricity to government schools and is establishing integrated residential schools in every assembly constituency to meet international education standards.
Additionally, Speaker Prasad Kumar noted that the government has conducted the DSC (District Selection Committee) exam for teacher recruitment for the first time in years, demonstrating its commitment to strengthening the public education system.
The event was attended by Assistant Trainee Collector Uma Harathi, Additional Collectors Lingya Nayak and Sudheer, DRDA Srinivas, SC Welfare Officers Mallesham, Upender, Kamalakar Reddy, Renuka Devi, and other officials.
