Walk your talk on education: BJP LP leader to govt

Hyderabad: BJP Legislative Party leader Maheshwar Reddy demanded to know the number of schools currently functioning in Telangana compared to 2014.

He raised the issue during the ongoing budget session in the State Assembly on Tuesday, stating that a simple verification could reveal the number of schools that have been closed. He pointed out that Congress had promised to allocate 15 per cent of the budget for education, up from the previous six per cent. However, the current allocation is only Rs 23,108 crore. “To meet the promised 15 per cent target, the state government must allocate over Rs 40,000 crore,” he asserted.

He also questioned the state government regarding the establishment of a fee regulatory committee, noting that it has ignored this issue despite including it in the Congress party election manifesto. Additionally, Maheshwar Reddy requested clarification from the relevant Minister on the status of fee reimbursement.

He expressed concern that while the government takes loans to settle bills for large contractors and pays excessive amounts, it neglects fee reimbursement for students. Moreover, he recalled that many students recently fell ill, and some even died due to food poisoning at a government school, which the High Court has taken very seriously. He further criticised the government for not addressing the benefits owed to government teachers, such as allowances from the Pay Revision Commission (PRC), leave encashment, and compensation for retired employees, with outstanding arrears reportedly amounting to about Rs 8,000 crore. He demanded an explanation regarding when these payments would be cleared.

Striking a disappointing note, he remarked that the government is failing to allocate adequate funds for basic facilities and infrastructure in government schools. “While they make many promises to improve the education system in the state, the Minister must address these issues,” he emphasised.