Now Reading: Harish Rao demands probe into substandard school uniforms, Rs 1,400 crore Aarogyasri dues
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Harish Rao demands probe into substandard school uniforms, Rs 1,400 crore Aarogyasri dues
Harish Rao demands probe into substandard school uniforms, Rs 1,400 crore Aarogyasri dues
Former minister T Harish Rao has accused the Telangana government of supplying substandard uniforms to government school students, alleging the clothes are poorly stitched, wrong sizes, and colours fade after washing. He…
Former minister T Harish Rao has accused the Telangana government of supplying substandard uniforms to government school students, alleging the clothes are poorly stitched, wrong sizes, and colours fade after washing. He said many schools have not even received one complete set, though two were promised, and demanded an immediate inquiry.
The BRS leader also alleged that the government has failed to release Aarogyasri funds, leaving salaries of scheme staff unpaid for 18 months. He claimed Rs 24 crore is pending for Siddipet government hospitals alone since November 2023, and estimated total pending hospital dues across the state at Rs 1,400 crore, affecting medicines, equipment and patient care in both government and private hospitals.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Aarogyasri scheme covers over 1,000 medical procedures for below-poverty-line families in Telangana. The Rs 1,400 crore in alleged pending dues is significant, roughly equal to the state government's annual allocation for the entire Aarogyasri budget in recent years. For comparison, similar delayed reimbursement disputes have previously led private hospitals in Andhra Pradesh to temporarily suspend treatment under the state's NTR Vaidya Seva scheme. The issue of substandard school uniforms has also surfaced in other states, including Karnataka in 2021, where a contractor was blacklisted after complaints. The next test will come in the state Assembly's budget session, expected in March 2025, when the government will present revised healthcare and education spending.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
