*Stop shutting down welfare schools: Merugu Nagarjuna*

Tadepalli, September 3: Former Minister and Bapatla district YSRCP president Merugu Nagarjuna demanded that the coalition government immediately withdraw its decision to close Social Welfare and Tribal Welfare residential schools and hostels. If the government truly cares about Dalit and tribal students, it should build new Centres of Excellence, appoint qualified faculty and expand opportunities instead of shutting down existing institutions, he said.
Speaking at the YSRCP Central Office, Nagarjuna said the Chandrababu government was targeting Dalit and tribal communities while failing to protect their constitutional rights. He said attacks, atrocities and social exclusion were continuing, while victims themselves were being booked in cases. He said the SC/ST Atrocities Act was being misused for political convenience and institutions meant to protect weaker sections were being weakened.
He criticised the closure of schools at Meghadrigedda, Tadikonda and Kota under GO 144 and said institutions created for poor students were being handed over to private interests. He contrasted this with the YS Jagan government’s education reforms, including English medium, tablets and measures to reduce dropouts.
Nagarjuna said hostel conditions had deteriorated badly, with children falling ill due to poor food, food poisoning, snake and insect bites, while Social Welfare and Tribal Welfare Ministers were not even visiting the institutions.
He also condemned the police treatment of former Deputy Chief Minister Pushpa Srivani when she opposed a school closure at Maredumilli.
“Do not close the schools and hostels that Dalit and tribal children already have. If you want Centres of Excellence, build additional schools, recruit new faculty and strengthen the system. Do not destroy existing opportunities in the name of reform,” Nagarjuna said.