Ganta slams Gurukul school over rat bites, poor sanitation

Visakhapatnam: Bheemunipatnam MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao expressed concern over students who were bitten by rats in Gurukul school while they were asleep and instructed the Principal to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

Paying a surprise visit to Mahatma Jyotiba Phule BC Gurukul School located at Simhachalam here on Friday, the MLA reviewed the school’s dormitories, toilets, kitchen and storage facilities and expressed disappointment over their poor maintenance.

He observed that the beds in the dormitories were in such a terrible condition that they were unfit for students to use. The sanitation condition is equally alarming, with unbearable stench emanating from toilets, reflecting utter negligence of the school management.

Terming the condition as ‘utterly disgraceful,’ Srinivasa Rao remarked that such conditions in his constituency were unacceptable and deeply embarrassing. Assuring swift intervention, he promised that all the problems in the Gurukul school would be resolved on a priority basis.

While noting that the kitchen and storage areas were comparatively maintained better, he acknowledged that steps had already been initiated to tackle the rodent menace at the campus. He emphasised that despite the government spending thousands of crores on education and healthcare, lack of trust in public schools remains a serious concern.

He pointed out that nearly 90 per cent of economically backward parents are compelled to spend large sums on private education, driven by the desire to secure a decent future for their children. The MLA stressed the urgent need to enhance infrastructure and facilities in government schools to rebuild confidence among parents. Further, the MLA tasted the food prepared for students and expressed satisfaction over its quality, signaling that while challenges persist, corrective steps are underway.

Coalition party leaders, including Chikkala Vijay Babu, former corporator P V Narasimham, Gadu Chinni Kumari Lakshmi, K Ramanaidu, Panchadarla Srinivas, and G Shankarrao, accompanied the MLA.