Sharmila calls for two-year overhaul of all welfare hostels in Andhra

Visakhapatnam, Oct 7 (PTI) APCC president Y S Sharmila on Tuesday demanded that the N Chandrababu Naidu-led government immediately repair all welfare hostels in the state and improve them within a two-year timeline.

Sharmila’s remarks came following the deaths of two Kurupam Girls Gurukul students and jaundice infection in 86 others.

At present, 611 girl students, most of them tribals, are forced to use just 35 toilets in their hostel at Kurupam in Parvatipuram Manyam district.

Sharmila visited the affected students at King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam.

“Immediately repair all hostels (government) in the state with a two-year timeline. Improve the condition of welfare hostels,” she told the media in the port city.

Ridiculing Naidu’s 'Swarna Andhra-2047' (Golden Andhra) vision, she said such a long-term goal is unrealistic for current students and called for a much shorter two-year 'Swarna Andhra–2027 Hostels' vision.

“Nobody can wait till 2047. The 2047 vision will be of no use to students studying now. Keep a two-year timeline and immediately repair all the (government) hostels across the state,” Sharmila said, warning that the Congress party "will campaign if the hostels are not repaired." To prevent a recurrence of crises like Kurupam, she demanded the constitution of a committee and constant monitoring.

After visiting the students undergoing treatment at KGH, Sharmila said she was shocked “as their health was in a worrying condition.” On seeing the state of the hospitalised students, she likened their "suffering" to that of people in Sub-Saharan Somalia.

Sharmila further alleged that when she advised Naidu to concentrate on basic facilities in Dalit colonies instead of building 5,000 temples, a “vitriolic attack” was launched against her. PTI STH SSK