Coalition govt in Andhra is destroying welfare hostels: Former Minister Chelluboina Venugopala Krishna

East Godavari (Andhra Pradesh) [India], July 28 (ANI): Former minister and YSRCP East Godavari district president Chelluboina Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna expressed severe anger over the condition of welfare hostels under the coalition government led by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.
Speaking to the media at Rajamahendravaram Press Club, Krishna stated that the coalition government is playing with the lives of students.
"Substandard food is being served in hostels. Quality menu schemes have been scrapped. Hostels have turned into living hells due to government negligence," he alleged.
He blamed Education Minister Nara Lokesh's inefficiency for the deteriorating state of hostel facilities, stating that even proper meals are not being provided.
"Contaminated food is leading students to fall ill and be hospitalised. Reforms introduced during Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's rule have been deliberately dismantled out of political vendetta, putting poor students' lives at risk," he claimed.
Venu Gopala Krishna said the coalition government has utterly failed in providing basic amenities in welfare hostels.
"Despite widespread media coverage over the past week highlighting the struggles faced by students, the government remains unmoved. Even Home Minister Anitha visited a hostel and expressed strong dissatisfaction after eating the food, pointing out the poor quality of ration rice, yet no corrective action followed," he said.
"Children are forced to sleep on the floor, eat watery dal and poorly cooked rice. They aren't even being supplied with blankets. Bathrooms and toilets are either unavailable or unusable. Hostels are surrounded by dirty water, creating extremely unhygienic conditions. Despite mosquito-borne illnesses spreading, no sanitation measures or mosquito nets are being provided. During the rainy season, students are falling ill, and yet no protective steps are being taken," he claimed.
He said that the government is showing zero concern for the welfare of underprivileged children, particularly those from backward communities and when the opposition YSRCP questions these failures, the government is unable to respond.
He said that under the YSRCP government, there were nearly 3,700 welfare hostels.
"Through the Nadu-Nedu initiative, efforts were made to improve their infrastructure. During their tenure, quality meals and proper facilities were provided to students in Gurukul schools, resulting in 99 percent pass rates in state-level exams. However, after the formation of the coalition government, those programs were shelved. Nutritious food schemes like Gorumudda were weakened, and SC/ST hostels have been completely neglected," Venu Gopala Krishna alleged.
He also criticised TDP MLA Buchaiah Chowdary, saying that his public desperation for a ministerial post is inappropriate. "Is it proper for a senior MLA to say things like 'I'll slash myself, I'll hang myself' just to get a minister's post?" he asked.
He said that instead, Buchaiah Chowdary should question Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu about the difficulties farmers are facing in his constituency.
"People are talking about his illegal sand mining operations. Cannabis is reportedly being sold disguised as chocolates, and TDP leaders are being caught red-handed in drug and liquor-related rackets. Illicit liquor is being sold in large volumes, yet the government has not taken any steps to shut down the distilleries responsible," he said.
"If Buchaiah Chowdary wants people to be hanged, then those smuggling liquor, cannabis, and sand under this government's watch deserve the noose," he declared.
Venu Gopala Krishna concluded by saying that those leaders who looted the people in the name of the Super Six schemes are the ones truly deserving of capital punishment. (ANI)