The ITDA, Eturunagaram managed Redyala tribal welfare ashram boys’ English medium school in Mahbubabad created a sensation after the head master of the school issued transfer certificates to three 9th standard students for complaining about poor quality food.
According to sources, A. Dayasagar, the headmaster of the residential ashram school, beat up three tribal students – Boda Harilal, Gugoloth Naveen and Bhukya Zailsingh – when they pointed out worm infested food being served during an inspection by tribal welfare officials to their ashram school recently.
Angered at the complaint to the higher officials, Dayasagar and two other ashram school employees reportedly beat them after confining them in a room.
The children, who are residents of Mahbubabad and Maripeda mandals, told media persons that their food was stopped following the incident culminating with the issuance of T.C on Friday.
Interestingly, the ashram school headmaster A. Dayasaga defended his action saying the three students were involved in committing thefts of electric bulbs, chairs and other food products, which the students denied in their complaint to the Mahbubabad rural police.
Meanwhile, furious at the action of the headmaster, the Mahbubabad Students’ Joint Action committee leader T. Yugander has demanded immediate suspension of the erring staff and registration of a SC/ST atrocities’ case against them.
Despite the complaint lodged by the students at Mahbubabad Rural police, the local SI A. Raviraj has not yet registered a FIR against the erring staff of the ashram school by Saturday.
When contacted by this newspaper, the ITDA Eturunagaram project officer B.S.V.V.S Murthy said that they have not yet suspended the erring staff pending inquiry. “We will take action based on the inquiry report to be submitted by deputy DEO,” he said.
It is significant to note that the issue of poor quality food being served at Redyala tribal welfare ashram boys’ English school is not an isolated incident as most of the food ingredients supplied in all the 83 tribal welfare ashram schools and tribal welfare general hostels under ITDA, Eturunagaram jurisdiction is said to be done by a single contractor.
Though the Girijana Cooperative Cooperation Limited (GCCC), Eturunagaram is supposed to renew the contract for the supply of food ingredients in Ashram schools and tribal hostels every three months, sources said that they are favouring only one contractor for the supply of essentials since over a decade.
A tribal organization, namely the Tribal Welfare Service Society, has already lodged several complaints about an ongoing food scam in ashram schools and hostels with the connivance of tribal welfare officials, who overlook excess quotation in tender prices for food items quoted by the contractor.