Oppn walkout over neglect of SC students' welfare hostels

Hyderabad, Nov 12 (UNI) Members of the main opposition TDP as also the TRS, the CPI, the CPI(M) and the BJP today staged separate walkouts in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly in protest against the ''poor'' condition of welfare hostels for the Scheduled Castes.

Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu led the TDP members out of the House, alleging lack of basic amenities in the social welfare hostels as the Congress Government had not spent the amount allocated in the budget during the last three years. This had led to over 340 children, succumbing to infectious diseases, he added.

Replying to Mr Devender Goud and other TDP members, Social Welfare Minister Subash Chandrabose said the Government had stepped up the allocation, three-fold, for the social welfare hostels to Rs 120 crore as compared to the previous TDP regime.

The Government also proposed to improve the facilities in the hostels, at a cost of Rs 1,400 crore, in a phased manner.

The pass percentage among SC students, which was low during the previous TDP regime, had increased to 77.6 per cent, following the efforts by the Congress Government, the Minister said.

Putting supplementary questions, Mr Goud contended that the State Government had been ''indicted'' by the National Human Rights Commission and Lok Ayukta for the ''poor'' condition of the welfare hostels.

The High Court, while hearing a complaint, had given a directive to improve the conditions in the hostels.

It was ''unfortunate'' that the SC students were paid only Rs 11 per day as diet charges, Mr Goud lamented.

The present Congress Government as also the previous TDP government had neglected the welfare of Dalits, alleged TRS Legislature Party Leader G Vijayarama Rao before leading his party members out of the House.

Led by CPI Floor Leader Ch Venkata Rao and CPI(M) Floor Leader N Narasimaiah, the Left parties members also staged a walkout.

A 20 per cent hike in mess charges for SC students was too low, when compared to 200 per cent increase in prices of essential commodities, opined BJP Floor Leader G Kishan Reddy before walking out of the House, along with another BJP member P Durababu.

UNI