BC Welfare Association demands release of Rs 8,000-Cr fee reimbursement dues
Hyderabad, Aug 1 (TNT): The National BC Welfare Association on Saturday demanded the immediate release of ₹8,000 crore in pending fee reimbursement dues for students in Telangana and urged the state government to withdraw G.O. No. 9, alleging that it would adversely affect beneficiaries of the scheme.
Thousands of students staged a protest at Hastinapuram Junction in L.B. Nagar, demanding clearance of pending fee reimbursement dues for nearly 14 lakh college students.
The demonstration was led by BC Students’ Association State President Pagilla Satish.
Addressing the gathering, Rajya Sabha member and National BC Welfare Association President R. Krishnaiah alleged that the state government had failed to allocate adequate funds for fee reimbursement and scholarships, affecting students from economically weaker sections.
He alleged that the government’s policies were adversely impacting BC, SC and ST students and criticised the reported move to discontinue the existing fee reimbursement system.
Krishnaiah also alleged that proposals to close government schools and weaken Gurukul educational institutions would affect access to education for disadvantaged communities.
Calling for an all-party meeting, Krishnaiah urged the government to consult education experts and representatives of BC organisations before introducing any changes to the fee reimbursement scheme.
Referring to the scheme’s introduction in 2007, he said it had enabled lakhs of students from weaker sections to pursue higher education and argued that Telangana should continue implementing the programme under the existing system.
Krishnaiah also criticised G.O. No. 9, alleging that it provides for crediting fee reimbursement amounts to students’ bank accounts instead of directly to educational institutions and contains provisions for action if fees are not paid to colleges within a stipulated period.
He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the order and restoration of the earlier mechanism.
He claimed that the association had been campaigning for the past three years for the release of pending fee reimbursement dues and warned that the agitation would be intensified if the government failed to clear the arrears and restore the previous system.
Several leaders of the BC Students’ Association and the National BC Welfare Association participated in the protest.
TNT TS
