Hyderabad: Former Minister and BRS Legislature Party Deputy Floor Leader Harish Rao demanded the immediate release of fee reimbursement dues for Telangana colleges. He said prolonged delays had pushed private degree and postgraduate colleges into financial distress.
Representatives of the Telangana Private Degree and PG Colleges Management Association met Harish Rao on Tuesday. They submitted a memorandum outlining problems faced by their institutions.
According to Harish Rao, colleges had struggled for two years because the government had not released fee reimbursement funds on time. Consequently, many institutions faced growing financial pressure.
Teaching and non-teaching staff had gone months without salaries, he said. College managements were also struggling to pay rent, electricity bills, university fees and other operating expenses.
The number of private degree colleges in Telangana had fallen from around 960 to about 650, Rao said. He warned that continued delays could force more colleges to close.
Private colleges play a major role in providing higher education in small towns, mandals and rural areas, according to Rao. He said their closure could affect students who depend on local institutions.
Government colleges remain limited in several locations, he said. Therefore, private institutions help fill gaps in access to higher education across the state.
Rao questioned the Congress government’s commitment to a scheme associated with former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. He also demanded the release of all pending fee reimbursement dues without further delay.
Fee reimbursement dues raise concerns over students’ future
Harish Rao said the completion of 1,000 days of Congress rule had exposed the impact of government decisions on students. He alleged that delayed payments had directly affected beneficiaries.
He questioned the government’s focus on criticising the Opposition while students faced problems on the ground. Delays in fee payments, he said, had created difficulties for students seeking their original certificates.
Some colleges were withholding original certificates because of outstanding fee reimbursement payments, according to Rao. As a result, students who had completed their studies were struggling to pursue higher education or seek employment.
Rao demanded immediate relief for students of Siddipet’s Srikrupa College and thousands of others across Telangana. He said these students were struggling to obtain their original certificates.
The former Minister warned that students could lose opportunities because colleges had not received pending payments. He urged the government to clear the dues and prevent further difficulties for students and colleges.
“Who will take responsibility if they lose the opportunities within their reach and their future falls into darkness?” Harish Rao asked.
He also questioned the government’s approach towards the education of poor students. Rao alleged that government inaction had put their future opportunities at risk.
Harish Rao further criticised the removal of data entry operators working under Aarogyasri. He questioned the decision to remove employees who had served the scheme for 22 years.
Those workers had already faced prolonged delays in receiving salaries, he said. Rao alleged that they were now also losing their jobs.
The former Minister questioned the removal of employees despite their long service. He also raised concerns about limited pay and inadequate job security.
Rao urged the government to protect their livelihoods instead of removing them from service. He suggested adjusting the workers in other government departments or welfare schemes.
He linked the concerns of colleges, students and welfare scheme workers to delayed payments and employment security. Rao called for immediate action on the pending fee reimbursement dues and relief for affected students.
