Hyderabad: R. Krishnaiah warned of large-scale protests if the fee reimbursement scheme was not continued without changes, targeting the government led by A. Revanth Reddy.
Addressing a meeting of BC student, youth and welfare associations in Basheerbagh on Sunday, he said they would intensify agitation across villages if the scheme was weakened. He added that in June, protesters would lay siege to the Chief Minister’s residence with around 5 lakh students.
Krishnaiah said the scheme was crucial for the educational progress of economically weaker students. He alleged that the government was attempting to scrap it and demanded immediate continuation without any alterations.
Krishnaiah also demanded that pending dues be cleared and Government Order No. 7 be withdrawn. He said failure to act would lead to gheraos of ministers and MLAs across the state.
Fee reimbursement scheme row escalates with protest call
Recalling past efforts, Krishnaiah said he had undertaken a hunger strike during the tenure of Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy to secure the scheme. He added that later governments under K. Rosaiah and N. Kiran Kumar Reddy could not discontinue it, while K. Chandrashekar Rao continued the implementation.
He criticised the present administration for alleged delays in releasing fee reimbursements and said that students were facing hardship while the state continued heavy borrowing. He also accused authorities of neglecting education welfare while spending large sums elsewhere.
Krishnaiah further alleged irregularities and said he would raise the issue with Narendra Modi. He maintained that education and healthcare should be provided free of cost and urged the government to act immediately to protect students’ interests.