AP govt owes Rs 601 crore dues to BRAOU

Dr BR Ambedkar Open University (BRAOU) has claimed that the Andhra Pradesh government owes it Rs 601.40 crore for educational and administrative services provided to students and study centres in the State after bifurcation.

Hyderabad: Around Rs 601.40 crore and nearly 12 years. This is how long Dr. BR Ambedkar Open University (BRAOU) has been waiting for its legitimate dues from the Andhra Pradesh government. 

The university, listed in the 10th schedule of the AP Reorganisation Act 2014, rendered its education services, including administration, academics, study centre operations, material production, library services and examination, to students in Andhra Pradesh. It also maintained 92 study centres, while paying salaries and pensions to staff working at the university study centres for 10 years. 

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As per the Act, the university was to serve both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for 10 years up to 2024. For this, both governments had to enter into an agreement for extending services, besides initiating the process for the university’s bifurcation. 

Since both States failed to reach an agreement, issues arose over the services and salaries of the employees working in the AP study centres. As the matter reached the High Court, which issued interim orders, directing the AP government to pay the salaries of the university employees working in the AP study centres and directing BRAOU to continue its services through the AP study centres.

With this direction, the BRAOU continued its education services in AP. Although the AP government began paying salaries to varsity staff working there, the university bifurcation was not taken up.

“Despite several reminders in the past the Andhra Pradesh government did not pay the university. We will again write to them via the State government seeking pending Rs 600 crore dues,” said Prof. Ghanta Chakrapani, Vice Chancellor BRAOU.

With the 10-year admission period envisaged under the Act ending on June 2, 2024, the Telangana government directed the university to stop extending services for AP students and admit only Telangana students from the 2024-25 academic year. This prompted the Andhra Pradesh government to come up with its own open university. However, the Andhra Pradesh government in its order changed Dr. BRAOU’s headquarters to Eluru, consequent to the reorganization of the States and establishment of the new capital at Amaravati.

“Instead of establishing its own university, how can the Andhra Pradesh government change the university’s headquarters to Eluru. Strangely, they are also claiming Dr. BRAOU’s alumni to be theirs,” he added.