Govt hikes diet charges of social welfare residential schools in State

Hyderabad: The students of Social Welfare Residential Schools in the State will finally have an improved and balanced nutritious diet. On Wednesday, the State government has hiked diet charges by over 25 per cent. The Telangana government has significantly increased the diet charges of welfare hostels and the government allocation will increase by an additional Rs 275 crore every month.

A total of 3,302 crores of additional funds will be spent every year. In this regard, a meeting was held at Marri Chenna Reddy Human Resource Centre in Hyderabad under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Harish Rao, BC Welfare Minister Gangula Kamalakar, Women & Child Welfare and ST Welfare Minister Satyavati Rathore with the chief secretaries of all welfare departments.

During the meeting, decision has been taken to propose hike in diet charges in line with existing prices, after previous hikes in 2012 and 2017, the current price hike has been implemented. Along with 8,59, 959 students of SC, ST, Minority and BC welfare hostels across the state, the government is also going to provide full nutrition to the hostel students of model schools, Kasturiba Vidyalayas and Sadaran Gurukuls. The government of Telangana provides the highest diet charges unlike any other State in the country like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka etc.

Every month from class 3rd - class 7th Rs 950 to Rs 1200, for class 8 to 10 class Rs 1100 to Rs 1400, Inter to PG Rs 1500 to Rs 1875 has been decided to spend on diet charges. In addition to these, 14,514 metric tonnes of fortified rice will be provided at a rate of 15 kg per student every month at a cost of Rs 47 crore, stated Finance Minister Harish Rao

Meanwhile, the Telangana government has to allocate huge additional funds every year in view of the significant increase in the diet charges of welfare hostels. Every month Rs 1053.84 crore are spent on diet charges alone and Rs 12,646.08 crore annually. However, according to the current increased diet charges, the government will have to spend an additional amount of Rs.275 crores every month, and a total of Rs.3302 crores annually, he added.

Even in 2017, diet charges were increased and once again in 2023 the government has taken a decision to increase the diet charges. Faineance Minister directed officials to look into the possibility of merging hostels with less than ten hostels in nearby welfare Gurukulas run by the same department with the aim of providing them with better accommodation.