Andhra Pradesh Minister for Social Welfare Minister Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy on Thursday said that the coalition government in Andhra Pradesh was working relentlessly to empower the poor through education.

Speaking at a workshop organised at V.R. Siddhartha Engineering College in Vijayawada for District Coordinating Officers (DCOs), Principals of Ambedkar Residential Schools, Social Welfare Deputy Directors and Assistant Social Welfare Officers (ASWOs), the Minister said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was committed to ensuring that poor people were empowered through education and to fulfil this vision, the government was providing quality education and improved facilities in Ambedkar Residential Schools and welfare hostels, comparable to those available in corporate educational institutions.

He stressed that teachers and staff must strive for achieving a 100 % pass rate in examinations and that the 100-days action plan and Mustabu programme should be implemented strictly in every school.

Warning against negligence in sanitation, the Minister said toilets and school premises must be kept clean and teachers and staff must pay special attention to the health and safety of students.

Students lagging behind academically should be identified and given necessary support and training, he emphasised. Along with academic education, the Minister underscored the need to teach moral values to students and said they should be made aware of concepts such as good touch and bad touch.

Informing that the government had increased the number of IIT and NEET Excellence Centres from three to 10 and that there were plans to establish three more centres this year, he urged officials to ensure that more students secured admissions into IITs and medical colleges through NEET.

He said CCTV cameras, RO water plants and mechanised kitchens had been installed in residential schools and welfare hostels. He insisted that 100% satisfaction should be achieved among students and parents regarding sanitation and facilities through the IVRS feedback system.

Secretary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Residential Educational Institutions V. Prasanna Venkatesh, Director, Social Welfare Department B. Lavanya Veni, Additional Director Sunil Raj Kumar and others participated in the programme.