After benefiting from students’ struggle for a separate Telangana, the Chief Minister, K. Chandrashekar Rao, was ignoring them to the extent that he has not even released the fee reimbursement dues for the last two years, said Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy.
Speaking after launching a signature campaign seeking immediate clearance of fee reimbursement dues at Shamshabad on Friday, Mr. Reddy said the Chief Minister refers to Telangana as a richest State introducing a budget of Rs. 1.30 lakh crore, but fails to release just Rs. 3,000 crore towards fee reimbursement dues.
“This anti-student policy of the government has hit thousands of students and staff working in colleges leading to discontinuation of studies and students losing jobs. Nearly 14 lakh students are suffering and employees in 3,200 colleges are not getting their salary, and this criminal negligence is highly intolerable,” he said. The TPCC chief reminded that the Chief Minister had given a clear assurance in the State Legislative Assembly in March on clearing all pending dues and monthly payments from April onwards. But Mr. Rao has no value for his assurances or any respect towards Assembly, he said.
The meeting, organised by National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and Youth Congress, was attended by thousands of students. The forms collected from students during the month-long programme would be handed over to AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who is visiting Hyderabad on December 2, and he would take up the issue with the President of India.
The meeting was also addressed by AICC secretary R.C. Khuntia, SC Department Chairman Koppula Raju, former Ministers P. Sabitha Indira Reddy and D.K. Aruna; NSUI Telangana president Balmoori Venkat Narsing Rao, Youth Congress president Anil Kumar Yadav and other senior leaders.
