Fee reimbursement dues: BJP demands time-bound clearance plan from Telangana government
Hyderabad: Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao on Saturday demanded a time-bound programme to clear fee reimbursement dues, alleging that delays had jeopardised students’ future.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP state headquarters, Rao asked the Congress government to specify when the pending amounts would be released. He also accused Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of taking an evasive position on the issue.
Rao rejected Revanth Reddy’s remarks in the Assembly questioning why the BJP had not raised the matter during the previous BRS government. He said he had raised the fee reimbursement issue in the Legislative Council in 2017.
The BJP president claimed that dues accumulated under successive governments had reached about Rs 15,000 crore.
He said the Congress government had admitted that it inherited Rs 5,430 crore in pending payments from the BRS government. Subsequently, he said, the government disclosed that another Rs 6,037 crore had accumulated during its tenure up to 2024-25.
Fee reimbursement dues need clear DBT schedule: BJP
Rao said the BJP supported the Direct Benefit Transfer system for fee reimbursement dues. However, he demanded that the government clearly announce when the money would reach students. He alleged that several colleges had withheld students’ original certificates because the government had not cleared pending reimbursements.
Rao also demanded a comprehensive investigation into any irregularities under both the previous BRS government and the incumbent Congress administration. At the same time, he opposed what he described as harassment of colleges through vigilance raids.
The BJP leader also criticised the government over GO 97 concerning polytechnic education. He sought clarity on whether students affected by the order would remain eligible for ECET. Moreover, Rao condemned the alleged lathi-charge on polytechnic students who had staged protests over their concerns.
He said BJP workers had collected signatures from about eight lakh students over the reimbursement issue. However, he alleged that the Chief Minister had refused to give them an appointment to submit the petitions.
Rao also recalled protests and a hunger strike organised by the BJP over the pending payments. He accused the Congress and BRS of shielding each other on the issue.
Fee reimbursement dues must be cleared, Rao says
Rao said the government should acknowledge its failure if it could not clear the fee reimbursement dues. He also assured that a BJP government would clear all pending reimbursement amounts.
The BJP president linked the issue to students’ academic prospects and demanded a definite payment schedule instead of further delays. He maintained that the government should state when funds would be credited under the DBT mechanism.
Meanwhile, several people joined the BJP in Rao’s presence during the programme. They included a recently retired DCP, doctors, businessmen and youth from Hyderabad and Suryapet.
BJP State General Secretary Goutham Rao attended the programme along with senior leader Manohar Reddy and State Spokesperson Solanki Srinivas.
Suryapet District President Sreelatha Reddy, Bhagyanagar District President Niranjan Yadav and former Hyderabad Deputy Mayor Subhash Chander were also present. Other party leaders attended the press conference and the joining programme.