Kurupam gurukul students death: Jagan declares Rs 5 lakh solatium; demands govt to offer Rs 25 lakh

Visakhapatnam, Oct 10 (PTI) YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has announced Rs 5 lakh solatium each to the kin of two students of Kurupam Girls Gurukul who died due to jaundice outbreak and demanded the Andhra Pradesh government to offer a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each.

He also insisted the government to give Rs 1 lakh each to the students of the Gurukul affected by jaundice.

Recently, two students had died and several others fell ill due to jaundice at Kurupam Girls Gurukul located in Parvatipuram Manyam district.

As many as 611 girl students, most of them tribals, were allegedly forced to use just 35 toilets in their hostel. The former CM called on the affected students at King George Hospital (KGH) in Vizag late on Thursday.

"Reddy announced that Rs 5 lakh would be given on behalf of YSR Congress Party to the families of the two girl students who lost their lives due to the jaundice outbreak in Kurupam. He also demanded that the state government extend a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to each of the deceased students' families," said a press statement issued by YSRCP late on Thursday.

As many as 65 students from the school got admitted to KGH after travelling more than 200 km and it demonstrates the gravity of the matter, said the YSRCP chief.

According to the former chief minister, In total, around 170 students were affected by jaundice outbreak due to "severe water contamination" and owing to 'faeces mixing with drinking water supply'.

Demanding the TDP-led NDA government to take responsibility, Reddy called for the restoration and repair of the water purifier plant in the hostel, fixing sanitation facilities and ensuring proper medical treatment for all students.

Stressing that all the affected students must be given Rs 1 lakh each, he called the case a 'medico-legal' one, warning that the YSRCP would even approach the courts for securing justice for the tribal students.

Slamming the government for allegedly attempting to cover up the Kurupam health crisis, Reddy claimed that even the Home Minister, Vangalapudi Anitha, had denied water contamination as the cause.

"If jaundice did not spread due to contaminated water then how did 170 children from the same school suffer from it?" he asked, alleging that 'denying the truth and telling lies' will not help the government escape responsibility. Meanwhile, there was no immediate reaction from the TDP. PTI STH ADB