Telangana private pharmacy colleges threaten to boycott admissions

The colleges demand government allow them collect tuition fee up front from students, who later can be reimbursed

Hyderabad: Telangana Private Pharmacy College Managements Association on Saturday threatened to boycott forthcoming convener quota admissions if the State government rejects their demand to collect tuition fee upfront from students and reimburse the tuition fee to students instead of colleges’ accounts.

The demand comes as the government is yet to release fee reimbursement dues of around Rs.550 crore.

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About 70,000 students are pursuing different programmes in the private pharmacy colleges and 55,000 candidates are eligible for the fee reimbursement for which the government annually incurs Rs 200 crore.

Telangana Private Pharmacy College Managements Association honorary president Ram Das said due to non-payment of the reimbursement arrears for the last four academic years, the colleges were unable to operate and several colleges have not paid staff salaries and struggling with property taxes and EMIs on loans taken.

“We want the government to allow the colleges to collect tuition fees upfront from students and directly reimburse the fee to students. Even parents and students are ready to pay the tuition fee upfront,” he said.

Citing assurance from Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, the association also demanded the government to release last four years fee arrears in two or three installments.