BJP to intensify agitation over fee reimbursement dues if Telangana govt fails to release funds: Ramchander Rao
Karimnagar, Aug 20 (TNT): BJP Telangana President N Ramchander Rao on Thursday warned that the party would intensify its agitation in support of students if the Congress government failed to release pending fee reimbursement dues and scholarships.
Rao was addressing a ‘Maha Dharna — Fee Bakayi, BJP Ladayi’ organised by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in Karimnagar, demanding immediate clearance of fee reimbursement dues and scholarships for students across Telangana.
Rao alleged that the Congress government, which came to power promising a welfare state, had failed to address the financial difficulties faced by students and educational institutions.
He said the BJP would continue its “uncompromising struggle” until the government released the pending fee reimbursement and scholarship amounts.
If the government continued to “play with the lives of students” by withholding the funds, the party would intensify its agitation, he warned.
Rao alleged that the previous government had left around Rs 8,000 crore in fee reimbursement dues and accused the present government of failing to clear the pending amount.
He claimed that the state Cabinet had decided to provide Rs 2,000 crore as an advance towards fee reimbursement following a reprimand from the High Court, but alleged that the amount had not been released so far.
Nearly 20 lakh students across Telangana were awaiting fee reimbursement, he claimed, adding that the delay was also affecting college managements, which were facing difficulties in paying faculty salaries.
Rao alleged that students and their parents were facing financial and mental distress due to the delay in reimbursement and criticised the Congress government for failing to fulfil the promises made under its ‘Youth Declaration’ during the elections.
He said the BJP would continue to fight on behalf of students until the government released the pending dues.
BJYM state president Ganesh Kunde said the youth wing had been conducting protests at the grassroots level for the past month demanding the release of scholarships and fee reimbursement.
Kunde criticised the police for issuing notices to college managements and students amid the growing protests and warned that the agitation would be intensified if the government failed to respond to the students’ demands.
He said BJYM would consider laying siege to collectorates as part of the intensified agitation and demanded that the government immediately release the pending fee reimbursement and scholarship amounts.
Kunde also demanded that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy resign if the government failed to meet the students’ demands.
BJP state vice-president and district in-charge Shanthi Kumar, district president Saini Mallesham, City Mayor Srinivas, Deputy Mayor Sunil Rao, former MLA Bodiga Shobha and thousands of students and youth participated in the protest.
TNT TS
