BRS accuses Congress of ruining TMREIS legacy

Hyderabad: BRS leader Shaik Abdullah Sohail accused the Congress government of systematically dismantling the Telangana Minorities Residential Educational Institutions Society. He described TMREIS as a proud creation under former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao. Sohail alleged the administration ruined this model institution, which had transformed lives for thousands of minority students. The neglect began after Congress assumed power in December 2023, leading to operational breakdowns that threatened the program’s future.

Sohail spoke to reporters. He highlighted TMREIS’s establishment in 2016 by Rao as a national benchmark for quality education and social upliftment. The society delivered free English-medium education, accommodation, and meals to over one lakh minority students statewide. Now, Congress actions eroded that dignity through mismanagement, he charged.

“It was BRS that built this institution from scratch, ensuring dignity, free English-medium education, accommodation, and meals for more than one lakh minority students across Telangana. The Congress government is now destroying that legacy through neglect and mismanagement,” Sohail said.

He dismissed Congress claims on recent student successes in competitive exams. Those accomplishments resulted from foundations laid by KCR’s government and teachers hired under BRS. Congress merely reaped the benefits while failing to sustain basic operations, Sohail added.

Reports showed unpaid rents for most schools over months. Landlords responded with eviction notices. In certain instances, schools faced temporary locks, forcing students home. Such disruptions marked a stark contrast to the stability during BRS rule, he remarked.

Over 2,000 staff roles, including teachers and wardens, remained unfilled. This gap endangered student safety and eroded academic quality. The last significant recruitment occurred under BRS. Since then, Congress added no positions, intensifying workloads and weakening oversight, Sohail said.

TMREIS Legacy Ruined by Neglect and Shortages

Tragedies underscored the negligence. A Class 9 student died at the Champapet TMREIS school. Another fatality struck Zaheerabad earlier in the year. The National Human Rights Commission documented hundreds of food poisoning cases and multiple student deaths across Telangana’s residential schools. Despite this, the Chief Minister, who oversees education, offered no response, Sohail stated.

Sohail labeled schemes like the Rs 50,000 Indiramma Minority Mahila Yojana and small repair grants as mere publicity. They failed to address core needs. TMREIS demanded consistent funding, prompt rent settlements, and comprehensive recruitment, not superficial gestures, he emphasized.

He called for urgent release of overdue funds. Arrears to landlords required immediate payment. Recruitment processes needed restarting to normalize functions. Under Congress, Telangana’s once-celebrated program became a source of national shame, Sohail warned. If the disregard persisted, the state risked forfeiting one of its key social welfare milestones.

Sohail connected TMREIS directly to KCR’s dedication to minority empowerment. He urged Jubilee Hills voters to penalize Congress in the by-election for these failures. The accusations drew from documented setbacks since the power shift, including eviction risks and declining supervision. Persistent food issues went unaddressed, while vacancies compounded problems. Unlike the BRS era, which avoided such crises, Congress oversight accelerated infrastructure decline and jeopardized student well-being. Recruitment halts post-BRS further strained resources, dropping academic standards amid mounting pressures.

The BRS leader advocated for genuine policy over announcements, stressing TMREIS’s role in upliftment. Ongoing neglect undermined its impact, and he insisted voters demand accountability through the upcoming by-election.