Telangana HC suspends GO 9 on fee reimbursement till next week

Justice Juvvadi Sridevi of the Telangana High Court has suspended the operation of G.O.Ms. No.9 on fee reimbursement admissions until next Tuesday, questioning how private colleges can function when arrears running into thousands of crores remain unpaid.

By Our Legal Correspondent

Hyderabad: Justice Juvvadi Sridevi of the Telangana High Court on Thursday suspended, until next Tuesday, the operation of the guidelines issued under G.O.Ms. No.9 governing fee reimbursement admissions and questioned the State Government on how private colleges could function when reimbursement dues running into crores of rupees remain unpaid.

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The interim order came in a batch of petitions filed by 89 private engineering and pharmacy colleges challenging G.O.Ms. No.9, issued after the Government withdrew G.O.Ms. No.7 following adverse observations from the High Court. The colleges contended that the new G.O substantially retained the earlier restrictions by directing institutions not to collect fees from students and by stating in allotment letters that students need not pay fees.

During the hearing, the Court repeatedly questioned the Government, asking how colleges would pay staff salaries, meet operational expenses and admit students for the current academic year if the State neither clears the pending dues nor permits institutions to collect fees from students.

Special Government Pleader S. Rahul Reddy submitted that reimbursement arrears had mounted to several thousand crores of rupees and explained that reimbursement for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students also involves Central assistance, which is released only after the State first disburses the entire amount.

The State sought two weeks’ time to file its counter and assured the Court that fee reimbursement amounts for all eligible students applying between April 1 and July 31 would be released by August 15. Senior counsel appearing for the colleges submitted that if the Government places on record a clear roadmap and honours its assurance of clearing all dues by August 15, the institutions would withdraw their petitions.

Students who sought to implead themselves submitted that they were caught between the Government and the college managements and requested that their academic interests be protected. After hearing all parties, Justice Juvvadi Sridevi adjourned the matter to next Tuesday while continuing the interim protection in favour of the institutions.