Published Sep 25, 2026 | 3:44 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 25, 2026 | 3:44 PM
Telangana Social Welfare Residential School (Gurukul) in Palakurthi. (Screengrab)
Synopsis: The students, who were startled awake by the bites, were taken to the government hospital in Palakurthi on Wednesday, 23 September, for treatment. All 14 girls were examined and treated for injuries. Parents of the affected students were reportedly not informed immediately, drawing sharp criticism of the school management.
Fourteen girl students of a Telangana Social Welfare Residential School (Gurukul) in Palakurthi, Jangaon district, were bitten by rats while asleep in their hostel on Tuesday, 22 September night, in an incident that came to light only later.
The students, who were startled awake by the bites, were taken to the government hospital in Palakurthi on Wednesday, 23 September, for treatment. All 14 girls were examined and treated for injuries.
Parents of the affected students were reportedly not informed immediately, drawing sharp criticism of the school management.
In-charge principal Vara Lakshmi told the media that she had sent multiple representations to local representatives and officials informing them of unhygienic conditions in the campus premises but no action was taken.
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Former minister and BRS leader Errabelli Dayakar Rao, sought details from the state Social Welfare department secretary over the phone.
Rao arrived at the school on Friday, 25 September, to check on the students but was stopped by police at the gate. In protest, he and BRS workers staged a sit-in outside the campus.
Speaking to the media during the protest, Rao accused the Congress government of neglecting basic amenities in welfare hostels and putting students’ safety at risk.
He pointed out that a watchman at the same school had been bitten by a snake in the past, and alleged that no corrective measures had followed.
Calling it shameful that leaders were blocked from visiting distressed children, Rao demanded that the government urgently upgrade infrastructure and ensure the safety of students across the state’s gurukul hostels.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Sreshta Ladegaam)
