BJP demands time-bound plan to clear Telangana fee reimbursement dues
Hyderabad, Sept 12 (TNT): BJP Telangana president N. Ramchander Rao on Saturday demanded that the Congress government announce a time-bound programme to clear pending fee reimbursement dues, alleging that the delay was jeopardising the future of students.
Addressing a press conference at the party state headquarters here, Rao accused Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of avoiding a clear response on the issue and rejected his remarks in the Assembly questioning the BJP’s silence during the previous BRS regime.
Rao said he had raised the issue in 2017 when he was a member of the Legislative Council and that it was recorded in the Council proceedings.
He alleged that the BRS government had left around Rs 5,000 crore in fee reimbursement dues during its final two years in office.
The Congress government, after assuming power, had admitted that it inherited Rs 5,430 crore in dues from the BRS and later disclosed that another Rs 6,037 crore had accumulated during its own tenure by 2024-25, he claimed.
Rao said the total pending dues had reached around Rs 15,000 crore by 2026 and demanded that the government clarify when the amount would be released.
The BJP state president said his party was not opposed to the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system or supporting college managements, but wanted the government to ensure that the funds reached students without further delay.
He expressed concern that some colleges were withholding original certificates from students due to non-payment of fee reimbursement dues.
Rao said irregularities, if any, under either the BRS or Congress governments should be investigated comprehensively, but alleged that colleges should not be harassed in the name of vigilance raids.
He also criticised the government over issues concerning polytechnic students and sought clarity on the impact of GO 97 on their courses and eligibility to appear for the Engineering Common Entrance Test (ECET).
Condemning police action against protesting students, Rao alleged that the government had failed to address their concerns.
He said BJP workers had visited colleges and collected signatures from around eight lakh students on their grievances, but alleged that the party was denied an appointment with the Chief Minister to submit the petitions.
Rao recalled the BJP’s 48-hour hunger strike over fee reimbursement and alleged that party leaders and workers who marched towards the Secretariat were arrested and booked.
He warned that if the government could not clear the dues, it should admit its failure before the people. He assured that a future BJP government in Telangana would clear all pending fee reimbursement dues.
Meanwhile, a recently retired DCP, doctors, businessmen and a number of youth from Hyderabad and Suryapet districts joined the BJP in the presence of Rao.
BJP State General Secretary Goutham Rao, senior leader Manohar Reddy, State spokesperson Solanki Srinivas, Suryapet District President Sreelatha Reddy, Bhagyanagar District President Niranjan Yadav and former Hyderabad Deputy Mayor Subhash Chander were among those present.
TNT TS
