Government women’s polytechnic building in Nellore cries for repairs

The 40-year-old building of Government Polytechnic for Women in Nellore is in a dilapidated condition, putting the lives of 180 students at risk.

Despite the representation from the principal and a parent, the Andhra Pradesh Department of Technical Education has not even sought funds from the State government to renovate the building due to budget constraints.

“The walls and ceilings of the college and hostel buildings have developed cracks. The floors are damaged. The doors and windows are broken, and the furniture is rickety. Toilets are in an unhygienic condition. The electrical fittings are not working properly, and the roofs are leaking whenever it rains,” said S. Venkateswarulu, the parent of a student, while describing about the condition of the building.

He said there is no provision of safe drinking water on the campus.

“The sorry state of affairs is raising questions about the safety of the inmates of the women’s hostel. The situation is affecting the academic performance and mental well-being of the students,” he said, urging the authorities concerned to renovate the building at the earliest.

Mr. Venkateswarulu said he had apprised the district and State authorities of the dilapidated building through letters, but to no avail.

“With no response from the authority concerned, I wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month. Recently, I received a call from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) inquiring about the concerns I had raised in the letter,” he said.

Speaking to The Hindu, Government Polytechnic for Women Principal Yesu Das said, “After receiving several complaints from the parents about the dilapidated condition of the building, the District Collector has sent a memo to take the necessary action. I have submitted a representation to the Director of Technical Education.”

In the representation, the Principal has requested the authorities to sanction ₹9.40 crore for the construction of the C- Block building as estimated by the Executive Engineer of the Andhra Pradesh Education and Welfare Infrastructure Development Corporation (APEWIDC).

However, the Director of Technical Education couldn’t forward the same to the State government due to the budget constraints in the State plan.

“The budget estimate for 2025-26 under the State plan is ₹15 crore. However, the commitments, as on April 2025, stood at ₹60.79 crore. The Skill Development and Training Department has already submitted a proposal, seeking an additional budget of ₹45.79 crore. So, the permissible amount for new sanctions is nil,” said G. Ganesh Kumar, Director of Technical Education.