Clear half of pending dues now, demand Telangana private colleges

Private professional colleges in Telangana remain closed, demanding at least 50% of Rs 10,000 crore fee reimbursement dues be released. FATHI plans teacher and student rallies on November 8 and 11, and seeks faster action on the ‘Trust Bank’ initiative

Hyderabad: Private professional colleges in the State have decided to stay shut till the State government releases at least 50 per cent of the fee reimbursement dues.

The Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Education Institutions (FATHI) on Wednesday said the State government owed around Rs 10,000 crore tuition fee dues to private professional, degree and PG colleges, and demanded at least Rs 5,000 crore of this be cleared immediately and the remaining dues paid in 10 monthly instalments of Rs 500 crore each.

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FATHI Chairman N Ramesh Babu speaking to mediapersons said a Telangana Teacher’s Reconciliation meet, with one lakh teachers, at LB Stadium would be held on November 8 as part of a series of protests. A massive rally with 10 lakh students towards the Secretariat has been scheduled for November 11.

Ramesh Babu expressed disappointment over the government now constituting a committee on the ‘Trust Bank’ initiative, for funding fee reimbursement scheme, which the FATHI proposed four months ago.

He wanted the government to seek the committee’s report in a month as against the present deadline of three months. Further, he wanted the government to drop its plans of vigilance raids against colleges.

The FATHI representatives sought inclusion of experts from banking and finance sectors in the committee constituted on ‘Trust Bank’ initiative and also demanded the government transfer A Sridevasena, Education Department in-charge secretary and Commissioner of Technical and Collegiate Education, from the post.