NewKerala.com

Key Points

Private professional colleges in Telangana have called off their indefinite strike after a breakthrough in government negotiations. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka led talks that resulted in an immediate release of Rs 600 crore for fee reimbursement arrears. The government promised to clear pending dues in a phased manner and will form a committee to rationalize the fee reimbursement scheme. Colleges across various disciplines will reopen from Tuesday, ensuring minimal disruption to student education.

Key Points: Telangana Govt Resolves Rs 600 Crore College Fee Dispute

  • Government agrees to release Rs 600 crore in fee reimbursement arrears
  • Private colleges across Telangana to reopen from Tuesday
  • Ministers negotiate breakthrough after prolonged education sector standoff
  • Committee to be formed for rationalizing fee reimbursement scheme
2 min read

Pvt colleges in Telangana end strike after breakthrough in talks with govt

Telangana government agrees to immediate release of Rs 600 crore, ending private college strike and ensuring student education continues.

"Though it's a financial burden, the government decided to immediately release Rs.600 crore - Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Deputy CM"

Hyderabad, Sep 15

Private professional colleges in Telangana on Monday called off their indefinite strike after the state government agreed to release Rs 600 crore immediately towards free reimbursement arrears.

The breakthrough came on Monday night during the talks between the state government and leaders of Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Education (FATHI).

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who led the group of ministers in the talks with FATHI representatives, announced that keeping in mind the problems faced by the managements of colleges and future of the students studying in these colleges, the government has responded positively.

"Though it's a financial burden, the government decided to immediately release Rs.600 crore towards fee reimbursement arrears for which tokens were issued," he said.

Vikramarka, who holds the Finance portfolio, gave the assurance that pending dues would be cleared in a phased manner.

Blaming the previous BRS government for huge pending dues, the Deputy CM announced that a committee will be constituted for rationalisation of fee reimbursement scheme.

Ministers Sridhar Babu and Uttam Kumar Reddy also participated in the talks. Following the breakthrough, the managements announced that colleges will re-open from Tuesday.

The colleges including engineering, pharma, nursing, MBA, MCA and B.Ed colleges had launched indefinite strike on Monday.

On September 12, FATHI had submitted a notice to Telangana Council of Higher Education Chairman Prof V. Balakista Reddy.

According to the Federation, fee reimbursement arrears to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore are pending. It said if the government releases Rs.1,200 crore pertaining to already generated tokens, they will reconsider their decision to indefinitely close the colleges.

The first round of talks between representatives of the college managements and the government on Sunday had failed to resolve the issue. However, they agreed to hold another round of talks.

The Deputy Chief Minister thanked the managements for withdrawing the strike and for agreeing to resume classes from Tuesday.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Good decision by the government. Students' education shouldn't suffer because of administrative delays. The phased payment approach makes sense given the financial constraints.
P
Priya S
₹10,000 crore pending? That's massive! While I'm glad colleges are reopening, the government needs better financial planning. Students were getting anxious about their academic year 😓
A
Arjun K
Typical political blame game - current government blaming previous regime. Just pay the dues and ensure education isn't disrupted. Students are not bargaining chips!
K
Karthik V
As a parent, I'm relieved! My daughter's nursing college was about to stop classes. Hope the committee rationalizes the fee structure properly. Education costs are becoming unsustainable for middle-class families.
M
Michael C
Positive step forward. The strike was affecting thousands of students across multiple disciplines. Hopefully this sets a precedent for timely resolution of such issues in the future.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50