Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka interacts with the parents of a deceased student at a residential school in Peddapur on Tuesday.
“Anirudh was my only son. We had admitted him to the government residential school at Peddapur in Jagtial district for his bright future. Our hopes were shattered when he died on August 9. The exact cause of his death is still unclear,” said a wailing Priyanka, mother of Anirudh, a Class VI student.
Anirudh died while being shifted to a hospital in Jagtial after complaining of severe stomach pain at the residential school on August 9. His parents, Priyanka and Krishna Reddy of Rajanna Sircilla district, broke down while showing their son’s portrait to Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka during his visit to the residential school on Tuesday.
Mr. Vikramarka, along with Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, visited the school to interact with students and their parents.
“He got his admission through an entrance exam as we could not afford the fee of a private school,” said Priyanka.
“Our hopes of ensuring a bright future for our only son dashed following his sudden death,” she said with tears in her eyes while appealing to the government to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
The Deputy Chief Minister gave a patient hearing to the woes of the distraught parents. He also consoled the parents of Ganaditya, a Class VIII student of the same residential school, who died due to ‘ill-health’ on July 26.
Visibly moved by the plight of the aggrieved parents, Mr. Vikramarka said that an inquiry would be ordered soon after the post-mortem report of the two students was out.
“The neglect of residential schools in the last 10 years under the BRS took a heavy toll on their upkeep. After coming to power, the Congress Government accorded top priority to education and health,” he said, adding that ₹5,000 crore was allocated for construction of residential school buildings.
Jobs to affected families
He said that the government will extend all help to the parents of the deceased students. Apart from ex gratia, affected family members will get jobs in outsourcing mode in residential schools, as per their educational qualifications. Instructions have been issued to the Collector to sanction ₹5 lakh each to the two families under Indiramma Housing scheme.
Directions have been issued to the authorities to make emergency medicines, paramedical staff, vials of anti-snake venom and anti-rabies vaccines available to students of the residential schools. Ministers, MLAs, MLCs, Collectors and DMHOs should visit these schools once in a month to take stock of the amenities and quality of food.
