Minister reviews facilities in BC hostels

Vijayawada: Minister for BC Welfare and Excise Kollu Ravindra held the first review meeting of his ministry in the city on Wednesday. The officials of the BC department, BC welfare officers and the principals of the BC residential colleges and BC study circles representing 13 districts attended the meeting.

The Minister asked the officials to ensure that the welfare schemes reached the real beneficiaries. He also wanted them to improve facilities in all the BC welfare hostels and the residential colleges. He directed them to fill the vacant seats in the hostels and residential colleges with eligible BC students. He told them to give importance to the students from the backward areas while giving admissions.

He also said that permanent buildings will be built for these study centres with government funds, adding, currently, of the 890 hostels under the department, only 500 are government buildings.

Ravindra directed the officials to provide protected drinking water to the BC hostels and the residential colleges, keep invertors ready for these hostels to meet the power requirements and provide additional tutors for better education.

The BC welfare secretary and commissioner Vani Prasad directed the officials to extend special care for the students in the hostels. The Minister for Irrigation Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, BC welfare department joint director, Madhavilatha, AP Study Circle director Mallikharjuna Rao, deputy director Chinnababu and other officials were present.