Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka directed officials to ensure welfare hostels completion within three months for buildings that have already reached 80 percent progress.
He issued the instructions during a review of budget proposals of the SC and ST Welfare departments at the Secretariat on Saturday. Welfare Minister Adluri Laxman also attended the meeting.
Bhatti said the welfare hostels completion process must move on a war footing. According to him, the buildings should be ready for use before the upcoming academic year begins.
He stressed that completing the remaining works quickly would allow students to shift into the new facilities without delay.
Bhatti stresses timely welfare hostels completion
The Deputy Chief Minister instructed officials to appoint a senior officer to monitor repair works. The officer will ensure that repair bills are sent regularly to the Finance department.
He directed that such bills should be submitted every 15 days so they can be cleared without delay.
Bhatti also said repair works in welfare hostels must be completed during the summer months. He warned officials that negligence in achieving welfare hostels completion would not be tolerated.
He further instructed welfare department officials to send bills to the Finance department on time. These include payments related to hostel rent, electricity charges, cosmetic expenses and salaries of outsourcing staff.
According to Bhatti, the government was committed to clearing these expenses every month.
He recalled that during the previous government such bills were cleared only once in seven months.
The Deputy Chief Minister also suggested creating a dedicated system to check the quality of materials supplied to welfare hostels.
He said officials should conduct regular inspections and reviews to ensure proper maintenance of facilities.
Bhatti added that the government had increased diet charges by 40 percent and cosmetic charges by 200 percent. He said welfare hostels completion and related bills were being treated as a priority for payment.
Officials were also directed to visit hostels frequently. They must inspect teaching standards, food quality and facilities, and submit regular reports to senior authorities.
Welfare hostels completion discussed alongside other reviews
Later, Bhatti reviewed matters related to the Medical and Health department.
He observed that the global interest in Ayurveda was growing steadily. Therefore, he directed the AYUSH Department to prepare proposals for cultivating medicinal plants under the Employment Guarantee Scheme.
He suggested promoting medicinal plant cultivation in villages to expand herbal resources and create employment opportunities.
The Deputy Chief Minister also reviewed matters with Forest department officials.
He said expanding tourism in forest areas could encourage local communities to protect forests. According to him, tourism development could also generate income and employment for nearby villages.
Officials also discussed the risks posed by pollutants and the measures needed to control them.
During a separate review of the Endowments department, Bhatti directed officials to focus on developing temples that had been preserved across generations.