YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia each to the families of two tribal girls from Kurupam Girls Gurukul who tragically succumbed to a jaundice outbreak. He further demanded Rs 25 lakh compensation from the state and Rs 1 lakh aid for every affected student, labeling the incident a blatant failure of governance.

The crisis unfolded at the Gurukul in Parvatipuram Manyam district, where over 611 tribal girl students were reportedly sharing just 35 toilets, leading to severe sanitation issues. Reddy, who visited the ailing students at King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam late Thursday, highlighted the perilous 200-km journey 65 girls endured for treatment, underscoring the administration's negligence.

"Water contamination from faecal mixing caused this outbreak, affecting around 170 students," Reddy alleged in a YSRCP statement. He accused the government of a cover-up, pointing to Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha's denial of contamination as the culprit. "If not contaminated water, how did 170 children from the same hostel fall ill simultaneously?" he questioned, vowing to pursue medico-legal action if needed.

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Reddy urged immediate restoration of the hostel's water purifier plant, sanitation upgrades, and comprehensive medical care. "This is not just a health emergency; it's a medico-legal case demanding accountability," he asserted, warning of court intervention to secure justice for the vulnerable tribal community.

The outbreak has ignited widespread outrage, exposing deep-rooted infrastructural deficits in residential schools meant to uplift marginalized groups. As the YSRCP rallies for transparency, the TDP government has yet to respond, leaving families in anguish and the public demanding swift reforms to prevent future tragedies.

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