Neglect of SW hostel students will not be tolerated, says Minister Savitha

Minister for BC Welfare S. Savitha on Sunday directed officials to ensure best medical treatment to the two inmates of the SC hostel who were injured in a road accident in Odicheruvu mandal in Sri Sathya Sai district.

A statement said the Minister spoke over phone with district Collector Shyam Prasad and Superintendent of Police Satish Kumar, and instructed them to find out why the students, who were supposed to stay in the hostel, came onto the road, and asked them to take action against those responsible for it. She said neglect of the students in hostels would not be tolerated.

Lakshmi Narasimha, a Class 9 student, and Bhargav, a Class 8 student, studying in a Social Welfare Department hostel, had gone with cooking vessels to collect prasadam from a mandapam set up by Ayyappa devotees on the bypass road near the hostel. They were injured when a car coming from the opposite direction hit them.

Lakshmi Narasimha sustained a serious head injury and was shifted to the Anantapur district hospital, while Bhargav is receiving treatment at the Kadiri Government Hospital.

The Minister directed the officials to find out who asked the students to go and bring prasadam, and said strict action should be taken against those responsible.

The Minister questioned the District Social Welfare Officer (DSW0) Reddy Balaji over phone as to why the students were allowed to go out of the hostel. She said the parents of the injured students should be informed immediately, the vehicle responsible for the accident be seized and a case registered against the driver.

Ms. Savita made it clear that negligence towards the students would not be tolerated and that strict action would be taken against the hostel staff concerned.