Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao criticized Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for allegedly betraying around 14 lakh students from BC, SC, ST, and minority communities by hindering fee reimbursement. Rao accused the government of attempting to dismantle the fee reimbursement scheme through Government Order (GO No. 7, which allows educational institutions to collect fees from students before reimbursement approval. This move, according to Rao, could deny numerous economically disadvantaged students access to higher education opportunities.
Highlighting the financial strain in the education sector, Rao pointed out that the state government has not cleared fee reimbursement dues totaling nearly Rs 10,000 crore over the past two-and-a-half years. This delay has severely impacted over 2,500 educational institutions, leading to operational challenges for colleges and hindrances for students in obtaining certificates and continuing their education. Rao criticized the government for misleading stakeholders with committees and delayed assurances instead of addressing the pending dues issue directly.
Rao emphasized the importance of the fee reimbursement program, originally introduced by former Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and continued in Telangana to promote inclusive education access. He questioned the current government’s motives in weakening this crucial welfare initiative and expressed concerns about the state of residential educational institutions and the lack of basic facilities for students. Rao warned of potential statewide protests if the government fails to address the students’ future, demanding the immediate release of pending dues and the withdrawal of GO 7 to safeguard the educational prospects of thousands of students in Telangana.
