Private degree and PG colleges call off 40-day strike after CM’s nod on dues

Hyderabad: The 40-day strike by private degree and PG colleges in Telangana has officially ended, following a green signal from Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on pending fee reimbursement arrears.

College managements, who had earlier threatened to boycott upcoming university exams unless dues were cleared, stood down after Higher Education Council chairman Prof. V. Balakishan Reddy met the CM on Monday. He reportedly raised the financial crunch being faced by private institutions and the risk it posed to the smooth conduct of exams.

Revanth Reddy, according to Balakishan Reddy, responded positively and instructed officials to release the outstanding reimbursements without delay.

Later that day, Balakishan Reddy met with representatives of the college managements’ association at his office. During the meeting, he conveyed the CM’s assurance. With that, the association agreed to call off the strike.

Suryanarayana Reddy, who heads the association, said they would now extend full cooperation for the conduct of all upcoming university exams.