Ramdas Athawale Promises Review of Telangana's ₹300 Crore SC School Proposal

On Wednesday, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale promised to review Telangana's ₹300-crore proposal for upgrading Scheduled Caste (SC) welfare schools and hostels during a meeting at the Tourism Plaza in Begumpet. The Union Minister also agreed to initiate steps to release ₹150 crore in pending Central funds to the state.

The commitment followed a meeting where Telangana State Social Welfare Minister Adluri Laxman Kumar submitted a formal representation to Athawale. The state's proposal seeks a substantial financial package to address critical infrastructure gaps in welfare educational institutions across Telangana.

According to Minister Kumar, the requested ₹300-crore package is intended for a wide range of physical upgrades. These include building repairs, the construction of additional classrooms, hostel extensions, dining halls, and modern kitchens. The funds are also slated for improving basic amenities such as toilets, drinking-water facilities, compound walls, and electrification.

Beyond basic infrastructure, the proposal outlines plans to introduce modern educational tools to the welfare institutions. This includes setting up digital classrooms and computer laboratories to enhance the learning environment for SC students.

During the discussion, Kumar explained to the Union Minister that pending allocations under various centrally sponsored schemes had placed a heavy financial burden on the state government's independent welfare programmes. To mitigate this, Kumar requested expedited central assistance not only for SC education but also for welfare programmes covering employment, skill development, housing, and social empowerment.

In response to the representation, Athawale assured his support for SC students in the state. He also promised assistance to victims in cases registered under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The formal review of the ₹300-crore proposal is scheduled to take place next month.

To highlight the state's ongoing commitment to student welfare alongside these central requests, Kumar noted that Telangana had recently increased diet charges for students by 40 per cent and cosmetic charges by 212 per cent, marking the first such increase in 16 years.