Hyderabad, Nov.5 (NSS):Former minister Harish Rao today visited NIMS Hospital, where students from the Vankidi Gurukul School are receiving treatment after a severe food poisoning incident. Shockingly, around 60 students from Komaram Bheem District’s Tribal Girls’ Residential School fell ill, with two of them transferred to NIMS for emergency care.
“I am here to check on the health of Mahalakshmi from 8th grade and Jyothi and Shailaja from 9th grade, who were transferred to NIMS. While Mahalakshmi is recovering, Jyothi’s condition remains critical, and Shailaja is fighting for her life on a ventilator,” said Harish Rao. These tragic incidents underscore a stark deterioration in gurukul school conditions across Telangana. Just last month, on the 31st, approximately 60-70 children were hospitalized due to food poisoning at the Vankidi Tribal School. Many remain in serious condition, yet neither ministers nor officials have shown up to support them. “The sight here is heartbreaking. Some students are still suffering from severe symptoms, and it’s unimaginable that these conditions persist under government watch,” Harish Rao added.
Parents across Telangana enroll their children in government residential schools with hopes for quality education and safety. However, under Congress’s eleven-month tenure, these schools have become symbols of neglect and indifference. This government has betrayed parents’ trust, failing to provide even basic amenities.
According to available data, in 10 months’ Congress government, 36 students in government residential schools have died from various causes. “This is no small matter—if an average of three students are dying each month, the government must address this with utmost urgency,” stated Rao. “In just seven months, around 600 students have fallen victim to food poisoning, while snake bites, rat bites, and electric shocks have become common occurrences in these schools. How much longer will the government ignore this?”
The Chief Minister and ministers remain preoccupied with elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, leaving Telangana’s residential schools to fall apart. Media outlets are reporting the abysmal conditions daily, yet the government offers only token responses. “Instead of band-aid solutions, we need lasting measures. These 36 student deaths can only be seen as government failures. And yet, there has been no internal review, no accountability,” Harish Rao asserted.
During KCR’s tenure, 1,023 gurukul schools were established, creating a pathway for students to reach the nation’s top institutions and pursue careers as doctors, engineers, IAS officers, and more. “KCR invested in these students’ futures. Today, under Revanth Reddy’s rule, the very schools that nurtured Telangana’s brightest are now plagued by rodents and neglect,” Harish Rao said.
Revanth Reddy has politicized these schools, allowing their conditions to deteriorate while turning a blind eye. “Winter is approaching, yet basic necessities like blankets are missing from these schools. Instead of ignoring these problems, I urge the government to allocate resources where they are desperately needed.” Gurukul schools were established to serve as pillars of opportunity for Telangana’s students. However, the current administration’s neglect and disregard for their well-being have put this legacy at risk. Harish Rao concluded with a direct call for action: “This administration must treat each student’s life as an investment in Telangana’s future. If the government continues down this path of negligence, they are putting the very future of Telangana in jeopardy.”
