BRS demands scrapping of GO 97, Shakti Scheme over polytechnic students’ concerns

The BRS demanded that the Telangana government scrap GO 97 and the Shakti Scheme, alleging they were against students’ interests. Former Minister V Srinivas Goud backed protests by polytechnic students and warned of large-scale agitation over the government’s decisions.

Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Monday demanded that the Congress government immediately scrap GO 97 and the ‘Shakti Scheme’, alleging that the decisions were taken unilaterally and were against the interests of students.

Extending support to protests by polytechnic students, former Minister V Srinivas Goud said nearly 80,000 students, 10,000 teachers and around one lakh families had taken to the streets opposing the ‘Shakti Scheme’ and GO 97.

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Speaking to media persons in New Delhi, Goud said students pursued polytechnic education with the aim of becoming engineers and pursuing higher education. However, the Congress government, through the ‘Shakti Scheme’, was seeking to turn them into mere manual labourers, he alleged.

There are 59 polytechnic colleges in the State, each spread across nearly 20 to 30 acres and equipped with infrastructure, laboratories and spacious grounds. The State government was preparing to hand over these lands to private parties, Goud alleged.

“The Congress government owes around Rs 14,000 crore in fee reimbursement dues to students. The government is planning to scrap the fee reimbursement scheme, which is unacceptable,” he said.

Goud also demanded that the Congress government fulfil its promise of filling two lakh government posts. Failing this, the BRS would launch large-scale protests against the State government, he warned.