Demanding the immediate release of pending fee reimbursement and scholarship dues, BRS State leader Enugula Rakesh Reddy addressed a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, strongly criticizing the Congress government over what he described as its neglect of the education sector. He alleged that under the leadership of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Telangana’s education system had deteriorated drastically.
Key Highlights from His Address:
He remarked that Telangana’s education system has become “like a temple without a priest, a school without teachers, and a hospital without doctors.”
- He accused the Congress government of deliberately weakening the education sector and failing to prioritize students’ welfare.
- Referring to the government’s explanation for delays, he sarcastically said that students were told a “cockroach” had caused the issue, warning that if pending fee reimbursements were not released, a “crocodile” would swallow the government.
- He alleged that the government was more focused on “paying tribute to Delhi” than clearing students’ fee reimbursement dues.
- He demanded the immediate withdrawal of Government Order (GO) No. 7, calling it an ill-conceived decision aimed at denying students their rightful fee reimbursement and treating them like offenders.
- He accused the Congress government of trying to erase the welfare initiatives introduced during former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s (KCR) tenure, particularly the fee reimbursement scheme.
- He stressed that the issue was not merely about students and parents but concerned the future of Telangana itself.
- He credited former leaders for their contributions to education, stating that N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) introduced the Bus Pass scheme, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) implemented Fee Reimbursement, and KCR established 1,023 Gurukul institutions and introduced overseas scholarships. He alleged that the present government was dismantling these initiatives.
- He noted that many beneficiaries of the fee reimbursement scheme had gone on to become entrepreneurs and professionals, with several settling abroad and contributing to the economy through foreign remittances.
- He questioned why the government could allocate massive funds for projects like the Musi River Project and Future City, while failing to release nearly ₹10,000 crore required for students’ fee reimbursements.
- He also questioned government spending on helicopters, advertisements, beauty pageants, and other events while claiming insufficient funds for scholarships and fee reimbursement.
- He alleged that if the government curtailed what he described as unnecessary expenditure for just one year, it could clear all pending student dues.
- He criticized the government’s handling of tribal, SC, ST, and BC students, stating that many from economically weaker backgrounds depend entirely on scholarships to continue their education.
- He said that several private colleges dependent on the fee reimbursement system had either shut down or were facing severe financial distress because of delayed government payments.
- According to him, nearly 50 percent of such institutions across the state had closed over the past ten months, particularly in Warangal, Nalgonda, and Khammam.
- He accused the government of pressuring college managements and using vigilance inquiries to discourage them from demanding pending dues.
- He recalled that the previous BRS government had cleared nearly ₹2,000 crore in pending fee reimbursement dues inherited from the previous Congress government after Telangana’s formation.
- He further alleged that despite promises of improved educational infrastructure—including funding for Osmania University, Koti Women’s College, and integrated schools—the Congress government had failed to fulfill its commitments.
- He also expressed concern over food poisoning incidents reported in Gurukul schools and hostels.
- Calling education the state’s future, he appealed to student organizations, public organizations, community associations, and intellectuals to unite and intensify the movement until all pending fee reimbursement and scholarship dues are released.
- He announced that after holding a round-table meeting in Khammam, the BRS would organize another meeting in Warangal on July 12 to strengthen the campaign and press the government to release the pending payments.
