Harish Rao sets September 7 deadline for withdrawal of GO 97 affecting polytechnic students

BRS leader T Harish Rao opposed the proposed merger of 59 government polytechnic colleges with the Young India Skill University and demanded withdrawal of GO 97. He warned of a massive protest with students if the government failed to act.

Hyderabad: BRS Legislature Party deputy leader T Harish Rao strongly opposed the proposed merger of government polytechnic colleges with the Young India Skill University, saying it would jeopardise the future of students and facilitate privatisation of valuable institutional assets. He vowed to raise the issue in the Assembly and lead a massive protest with polytechnic students if the government failed to withdraw the controversial GO 97 by September 7.

He made the remarks after extending support to students protesting against GO 97 at the Government Polytechnic College in Masab Tank here on Tuesday.

---

Speaking on the occasion, Harish Rao stated that the government was seeking to hand over 59 of the State’s 113 polytechnic colleges to the Skill University, which was established under a public-private partnership model. He questioned the fate of students once the government’s initial support ended and asked whether fees and fee reimbursement would remain affordable. He said the issue was not confined to one institution but concerned nearly one lakh students across the State.

The former Minister stated that the Congress government was eyeing the land and buildings of polytechnic colleges, which he claimed were worth thousands of crores, to raise loans by mortgaging or auctioning them. He opposed any move to take the institutions out of government control and demanded immediate withdrawal of the GO.

Harish Rao reminded that polytechnic education offered students opportunities for lateral entry into engineering courses and the proposed merger could deprive students of them. He also questioned why students currently paying around Rs 15,000 for polytechnic education should be pushed towards expensive private education.

Citing incidents in Mahabubabad and Suryapet, the BRS leader termed the police excesses against protesting students, including the grabbing of a student by the throat, as atrocious. He said the government should not undermine the ability of Gen-Z students to organise protests over issues affecting their future.

He rejected the government’s move to constitute committees to examine the issue, calling it an attempt to dilute the students’ agitation. He said the polytechnic education system should remain under government control.

Harish Rao also accused the government of diverting university and institutional lands for various purposes and questioned whether the government now intended to target polytechnic properties as well. He pointed to the fee reimbursement issue, alleging that the government had failed to provide adequate support to students.

On Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s remarks on foreign travel permissions for BRS leaders KT Rama Rao and himself, Harish Rao said they were both MLAs and travelled in their individual capacities. He stated that such travel did not require the Centre’s permission, unlike the Chief Minister who travelled on a diplomatic passport. He accused the Chief Minister of making statements without understanding the applicable rules and misleading people.