Opposition members in the Legislative Assembly expressed concern over the Telangana government failing in two key sectors – education and health – even three years after the State formation.
It failed to rein in corporate schools and colleges who were fleecing people with exorbitant fee and manipulating them with advertisements.
The government hospitals, area and district hospitals continued to face shortage of doctors, nurses, equipment and medicine, while corporate hospitals continued to charge hefty amount for treatment and diagnostic services, they said.
Participating in a discussion on Demands for Grants to Education, Health, Industries, Tourism, Forest and Environment, Labour and Employment Departments in the Assembly here on Thursday, the Opposition leaders questioned the neglect of government schools, colleges and hospitals and scanty allocation of funds for these sectors.
BJP floor leader Laxman said 46 % of enrolment in government schools and 52 % in colleges was not acceptable. When the government could grade engineering colleges, why could it not adopt the same parameter for schools and colleges, he wondered. Though Osmania University would be celebrating its centenary, most of the budget posts in the university and its PG centres were vacant. In five departments, no teaching faculty was present and there were no PhD admissions. The State government should give priority to setting up tribal university and clear fee reimbursement dues, he said.
TDP MLA R. Krishnaiah said the number of existing vacancies, including retirement vacancies, touched 40,000, but the government was not keen on teacher recruitment, infrastructure and quality education to wean students away from corporate schools. In the universities, 70 % of teaching posts were vacant and those working on contract basis for years should be regularised. With private schools and colleges collecting lakhs of rupees as fees, the government should bring fee regulation Act. Congress MLA Vamsichandra Reddy talked about the state of affairs in government hospitals where callous staff and attenders continue to fleece patients. While seven % of the budget should be earmarked for health, the government allotted only four %. No new primary health centres were added due to large-scale vacancies, while private hospitals were minting money by resorting to unnecessary caesarian and other surgeries.
CPI (M) MLA Sunnam Rajaiah said the government should fill MEO posts for better monitoring of schools and regularise the service of contract lecturers in government colleges.
Congress MLA Gita Reddy said apart from the industrial and IT progress achieved in the State under the Congress regime, the Telangana government did not do much to attract investments into manufacturing sector to generate employment. The MSME sector needed a fillip for its revival and their number came down in the last three years, she said.
