Welfare hostels Central Purchase system should be cleaned up: SFI State Unit

Hyderabad: The Students Federation of India (SFI) Telangana State Committee on Friday demanded an efficient and accountable Central Purchasing process to procure essential commodities supplied to residential school hostels.

An SFI delegation led by its state president, S Rajinikanth, and State Vice President, Damera Kiran, along with Assistant Secretary Mamatha and others, submitted a memorandum to the secretaries of the concerned Gurukuls and Commissioners of Welfare Departments, flagging the problems faced by students in welfare hostels and Gurukuls in Telangana state, as well as the practical difficulties hostel welfare officers face in managing the hostels, and urged that they be resolved.

Speaking on the occasion, SFI State President Rajinikanth said the essential commodities supplied to the hostels through Central Purchase are of poor quality, and the necessary items are not being supplied as per the indent. He said students are struggling to get quality meals because of a lack of cooking materials like tamarind, onions, garlic, and ginger. He demanded that hostel authorities be allowed to purchase essential items not available locally.

He demanded that the hostel authorities introduce a system of direct door delivery of vegetables, fruits, chicken, and other items to hostels, and that goods be supplied during fixed working hours instead of midnight.

He said that the government should issue clear guidelines on who will provide meals to students staying in hostels due to illness, during school holidays, festivals and other holidays under the central kitchen system.

He demanded that the amount allocated for dinner be increased in line with current market prices and that an official rate chart with gram-wise quantities, prices, and a menu of food items be released.

Similarly, he said that to implement the FRS attendance system, every hostel should be provided with the necessary smartphones or tablets and network facilities. He urged the government to appoint a technical assistant for each hostel. He said it was not right to add workload to staff without providing full practical training on technology.

SFI State President demanded that the government take immediate remedial measures by considering the problems of the hostel welfare officers and the needs of the students.

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VRC Phaniharan

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