Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Botsa Satyanarayana rebuked the Telangana education system and belittled the state and its people. Releasing IIIT entrance test results at Vijayawada on Thursday, the minister said the Telangana government failed to conduct the recruitment tests and even it could not carry on teacher transfers. “In Telangana, malpractice in examination and corruption rules the roost,” he said. His remarks earned widespread condemnation from the Telangana ministers who warned the Andhra ministers to mind their own business. The Andhra leaders who cannot tell where is their capital are now trying to teach lessons to Telangana, they said.
BC welfare minister G Kamalakar dismissed the claims that Andhra Pradesh’s education system is foolproof. In the erstwhile APPSC, large-scale corruption took place. Even today, leaders demand Rs. 5 to 10 lakhs for a teacher transfer in Andhra Pradesh. In contrast, the Telangana government established over 1,000 residential schools. Referring to the remarks of the AP minister over the TSPSC paper leak, Mr Kamalakar said it was the state government that found the loophole and ordered an inquiry. “Our government is very transparent and will not spare anyone resorting to corruption,” he said.
Education minister Ms Sabitha Indra Reddy demanded that Mr Satyanarayana withdraw his remarks and sought to know why the enrolment in AP schools was reduced by one lakh. “Telangana government is spending Rs. 1.25 lakh on each student per year. How much the AP government is spending?” she sought to know. Excise Minister V Srinivas Goud said those could not set up their own capital are now criticising the Telangana government. Purely out of jealousy, the Andhra ministers are putting up false pride and behaving arrogantly. “It was Andhra leaders who amassed wealth resorting to corruption in APPSC in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
By Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao