State Govt delays fee reimbursement; Harish demands immediate payment

Harish Rao expressed his anger over the government's negligence, pointing out that it was withholding crucial funds for nearly 10 months.

Hyderabad: Former Minister and senior BRS leader T Harish Rao on Tuesday questioned the Congress government’s failure to release fee reimbursement dues, affecting the lives of 13 lakh students and educational institutions. Condemnding the delay, he said the government was neglecting the future of students and causing widespread financial stress for college managements.

Speaking to the media after a meeting with the Telangana Private Degree and PG Colleges Management Association, Harish Rao expressed his anger over the government’s negligence, pointing out that it was withholding crucial funds for nearly 10 months.

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“Thousands of students are unable to obtain their TC and other certificates, resulting in the loss of an academic year. This negligence is causing severe financial and mental strain on students, parents, and college managements as well,” he said.

He pointed out that the BRS government, during its nine-year rule, had released Rs.19,000 crore for fee reimbursements, with an average of Rs.2,000 crore annually even during financial crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

The college management representatives shared their struggles with Harish Rao, detailing their inability to pay staff salaries and building rents due to the non-release of dues. Many managements were under intense pressure from staff and creditors, unable to secure new loans and pay off debts as well as salaries and maintenance expenditure.

Harish Rao assured the college managements that the BRS would stand by them, demanding that the Congress government immediately release the pending fee reimbursements. He warned that further delay could have catastrophic effects on students and educational institutions across Telangana.