Hyderabad: Former minister and BRS Deputy Floor Leader T. Harish Rao on Tuesday demanded GO 97 withdrawal and backed polytechnic students protesting against the government’s proposed changes.
Harish Rao joined students protesting at Government Polytechnic College, Masab Tank, and expressed solidarity with their agitation. As a former student of the same institution, he said he supported their protest both as an alumnus and a public representative.
Harish Rao alleged that the Revanth Reddy government’s handling of the issue had put the future of nearly one lakh polytechnic students at risk. He opposed the proposed integration of government polytechnic colleges with ITIs and their inclusion under the proposed Skill University framework.
“This is completely unacceptable,” Harish Rao said while criticising the government’s approach. Harish Rao said the proposed Skill University had been structured under a public-private partnership model.
He expressed concern that bringing government polytechnic colleges into this structure could eventually place them under private control. The BRS leader said Telangana had 113 polytechnic colleges, including 59 government institutions.
According to him, the government was attempting to bring these institutions under the Skill University framework. Harish Rao said the proposed changes directly affected nearly one lakh students.
“This is not an issue concerning one college; it is a question concerning the future of an entire generation,” he said. He argued that changes affecting the polytechnic education system required careful consideration because of their impact on students.
Harish Rao also strongly criticised Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s handling of the issue. “Looking at the way Revanth Reddy is running the government, it appears to be like a stone in the hands of a madman,” he said.
Harish raises concerns over college lands and assets
Harish Rao alleged that the government was more interested in valuable lands and assets belonging to government polytechnic colleges than students’ future. He claimed government buildings and lands worth thousands of crores were being brought under a new framework.
The BRS leader said this had created concerns over how those properties could eventually be used. Harish Rao demanded clarity on whether the government planned to mortgage these assets or use them to raise loans.
“Revanth Reddy’s focus appears to be on the lands and properties of these institutions,” he alleged. He questioned why educational institutions were being targeted when other government assets were available.
The allegations concerning the proposed use of polytechnic assets were made by Harish Rao. No government response to those specific allegations was included in the source material.
GO 97 withdrawal becomes focus of student agitation
Students at Government Polytechnic College, Masab Tank, had been protesting while seeking withdrawal of the government order. Harish Rao extended his full support to the agitation and said the issue went beyond a single institution.
He maintained that any restructuring could have consequences for students studying across Telangana’s polytechnic colleges. Therefore, he demanded GO 97 withdrawal and opposed bringing government polytechnic institutions under the proposed Skill University arrangement.
The former minister said the government needed to protect public educational institutions and their assets while safeguarding students’ academic future.