The BRS government has failed to release Rs 6,500 crore under Telangana’s fee reimbursement and scholarship scheme, leaving 13 lakh students waiting for funds. Promised by the previous administration, these funds cover various professional courses, including engineering, pharmacy, MBA, and nursing, but have been withheld due to budget constraints.
For the past four years, the government has not disbursed scholarship and fee reimbursement amounts, causing financial strain on many professional colleges. Since the 2021-22 financial year, no budget has been allocated for these schemes, leading to the closure of several colleges and jeopardizing the survival of others.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has addressed the issue with college authorities and students, assuring them that overdue payments will be released. College management has pleaded for support, citing their inability to pay salaries to staff for the past eight months and difficulty in repaying bank loans. They warned that without immediate financial relief, more colleges would be forced to close.
The Federation of Professional Colleges has requested that arrears be released by June, before the start of the 2024-25 academic year. They accused the previous BRS government of neglecting the needs of poor and deserving students. According to the Federation, former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) did not meet with college representatives to discuss their problems.
Although the previous government announced the release of Rs 1,500 crore in arrears before the assembly elections in September 2023, these funds were not deposited into the colleges’ accounts due to a halt by the finance department. College administrators have appealed to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to instruct the finance department to release the promised funds as the first installment.
The Federation of Professional Colleges, which includes institutions offering engineering, pharmacy, MBA, nursing, and other professional courses, seeks urgent action to secure the future of students and maintain the viability of the colleges.
