Provide basic infrastructure in welfare hostels, says Minister

Kakinada: Social Welfare Minister Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose on Monday ordered district officials to complete the provision of basic infrastructure in the social welfare hostels under `Sankshema bata’ programme before the end of Dasara vacation. He expressed dissatisfaction that there were inordinate delays in the execution of works in Vizianagaram and Guntur districts, for which the people’s representatives sought priority to be given.

Addressing a meeting of the Social Welfare Department officials and SC Corporation executive directors of seven districts (Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur) at Zilla Parishad conference hall here, Mr. Bose said long time was being taken even for minor repairs while students suffered the inadequacy of facilities. The progress of integrated hostels was also so tardy that even lands were not identified in some districts. December would be deadline for completing these hostels. The Minister said criminal cases would be booked against five hostel officers in Bhimavaram who allegedly sold away 104 bags of rice meant for consumption by students.

They would also be removed from service for resorting to `theft of rice’. Social Welfare Commissioner Dr. A Vidyasagar said sincere efforts should be made to enable the Scheduled Castes people to really benefit from the welfare schemes being implemented by the government. He observed out of Rs 3.8 crores sanctioned under `Sankshema bata’ in the above seven districts, only Rs 2.8 crore was spent. Construction of 37 integrated hostels has not at all been encouraging. S.C Finance Corporation General Manager Ramesh Chandra, Joint Director of Social Welfare PSA Prasad and superintendent engineer Bhaskar Rao were among those present.