Students denied proper food in hostels: Sharmila

Sharmila, who is doing Maro Praja Prasthanam Padayatra on behalf of YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, lamented that the Government’s decision to restrict subsidized cooking gas supply to six cylinders in a year would make the students in social welfare hostels starve as their daily mess charges were not increased.

Interacting with students of Kasturba Girls’ School near Pedda Kadabur in Kurnool district on Thursday, Sharmila said social welfare students were finding it difficult to have two square meals a day even at present as they were paid only Rs.17 each per day for food.

“In these circumstances, the restriction on subsidized cooking gas supply will impose additional burden as the mess charges are not increased. The students would go half-hungry without proper food,” she said, adding the Government’s decision has caused injustice to those living in social welfare hostels.

Sharmila said even the prisoners in jails are paid Rs.45 each every day. It is unfortunate that students are not getting even that much amount for food, she observed.

Hostel inmates of the school complained to Sharmila there was no milk supply to them. “We get eggs three days in a week. We don’t have playground and compound wall also,” they told her, adding that gas price increase and restriction on subsidized cooking gas supply were making their lives difficult in hostels.

Earlier, Sharmila addressed a public meeting at Pedda Kadaburu and criticized Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy for not trying to solve the people’s problems.

(Updated on Nov 16, 2012)