YSRCP demands white paper on welfare hostels

Hyderabad, Nov 3, 2012:
YSR Congress party today demanded the Government to publish a white paper on
the position of social welfare hostels in the state in the wake of nearly
hundred hostels facing closure because of the Government’s disinterest to
improve them.

Addressing a media meet
here, party spokesman Gattu Ramachandra Rao said 30 hostels of degree students
have become non-starters this year while maintenance is very poor in another 70
hostels. “These are on the verge of closure,’ he said, demanding the Government
to hike the monthly scholarship of students from the present Rs.520 to Rs.1500
to prevent their closure.

Welfare hostels have
been handicapped by the lack of proper maintenance and inadequate scholarships
to students, he said and added that there are not even proper bathroom
facilities in most of them.

“The Government has
kept pending the implementation of the decision of the late YSR who ordered the
scholarship to be hiked to Rs.960,” he said.

Because of the
Government’s negligence, nearly ten lakh students are finding it difficult to
manage their stay in the hostels. “They are being forced to take up part time
jobs,” he said.