Tadepalli: YSR Congress Party leader and former MLA TJR Sudhakar Babu has raised serious concerns regarding the plight of Dalit and tribal students under the negligence of Chandrababu Naidu’s government. Speaking from the main office of YSR Congress in Tadepalli on Monday, February 9, he criticized the administration for its indifference towards the alarming conditions in social welfare hostels, stating that the death knells are ringing, but Naidu remains unmoved.
Sudhakar Babu urged Naidu to have a heart and provide assistance to the children living in hostels. He highlighted the significant financial investments made by the current Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s regime, which has allocated Rs. 7,245 crores for hostels, a stark contrast to the mere Rs. 455 crores spent by Naidu between 2014 and 2019. This financial disparity sheds light on the quality of life for students in these welfare hostels.
During his address, he emphasized that while Jagan ensures nutritious meals for the students every day, Naidu has focused solely on publicity rather than justice for these young individuals. Sudhakar Babu referred to incidents where students fell ill due to the poor quality of food served in hostels, questioning the negligence of Home Minister Anitha, who failed to rectify the situation even after reports of students falling sick due to contaminated food.
The former MLA also pointed out the alarming number of students who have suffered from health issues, with 89 students hospitalized in Polavaram district alone. He posed critical questions to the education minister, Lokesh, about the lack of concern for the welfare of students. “Is your high-tech government unaware of the struggles faced by students?” he asked, highlighting the ongoing issues faced by Dalits and tribals under Naidu’s rule.
Sudhakar Babu criticized Naidu for boasting about development and welfare while the prices of essential goods have skyrocketed, causing immense suffering among the populace. He referenced the testimonies of coalition MLA Adinarayana Reddy, who has openly criticized the state of affairs under Naidu’s leadership, particularly in relation to the steel industry in Visakhapatnam, which Naidu attempted to sell off before Jagan intervened.
He also raised concerns about the farmers in Amaravati, who have been deceived and suffered due to Naidu’s administration, questioning the real progress in the capital region beyond the real estate business. The former MLA expressed frustration over the lack of visible infrastructure development despite records showing an expenditure of Rs. 76,000 crores, asking when the promised returnable plots for farmers would be allocated.
Sudhakar Babu criticized the government’s emphasis on AI technology without corresponding educational reforms, insisting that those who are hungry need immediate assistance rather than high-tech solutions. He demanded clarity on the promised 2.3 million jobs, questioning where they had materialized.
In his conclusion, he labeled Naidu as an outdated chief minister whose thought process requires a significant overhaul. He also condemned the substandard quality of Heritage curd, which has been confirmed by laboratory tests. The penalties imposed on the Heritage company for selling inferior products, he argued, should incite shame in Chandrababu Naidu for allowing such issues to persist.
