MLAs ask Congress government to clear fee reimbursement dues

Many college managements finding it hard to pay employees’ salaries, rents, other operation and maintenance costs, says Harish Rao

HYDERABAD: Cutting across party lines, MLAs demanded the Congress government to clear pending fee reimbursement dues and help students and college managements.

In 2014, when Telangana was formed, the fee imbursement dues were about Rs 2,000 crore and the BRS government had cleared the same. In the last 10 years, withstanding demonetisation and the Covid pandemic impact, the BRS government had paid nearly Rs 20,000 crore towards fee imbursement, former Finance Minister T Harish Rao said during question hour in the Assembly on Saturday.

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He stated that many college managements were finding it hard to pay employees’ salaries, rents and meet other operation and maintenance costs. The State government should immediately pay at least Rs 2,000 crore and rescue the students, he said, adding that after releasing Rythu Bandhu funds in June, July, November and October, the BRS government used to release fee reimbursement funds during January and March.

Admitting the delay, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister D Anasuya said about Rs.5,520.60 crore of accumulated dues had to be cleared. Due to the crop loan waiver with Rs.21,000 crore, there was a lot of financial stress on other departments, she said.

Earlier CPI MLA Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao said students were being humiliated due to delays in fee reimbursement. College managements were also struggling financially, he said.

When the issue was raised with the State government, it was informed that Rs.1,200 crore was allocated but the bills were not being cleared, the CPI MLA said.

BJP MLA Palvai Harish said in 2023-24, dues of Rs.950 crore were paid and at this rate it would take five to six years to clear the Rs.5,550 crore. College managements were holding back the students certificates and demanding fee payment. Students were facing lot of hardships, he added.