Students fee reimbursement: AP Social Welfare minister terms fees row as ‘state terrorism’

Hyderabad: AP social welfare minister Ravela Kishore Babu said on Tuesday that they couldn’t elicit any response from the Telangana government, despite repeated attempts, to resolve the fee reimbursement row. He termed Telangana CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s decision to deny fee reimbursement to Andhra students as “state terrorism.”

He also said the AP government had approached the Centre over the issue.

Speaking to mediapersons on Tuesday, Mr Kishore Babu said his government was ready to negotiate with the Telangana government.

“Mr Naidu is ready to negotiate with Mr Chandrasekhar Rao. We are ready to sit with the Telangana government to resolve this issue but there is no response from them. The future of the students is at stake here,” he said.

He also said that AP HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao had requested for meetings with his Telangana counterpart but to no avail and added that it would cost the Telangana exchequer only about Rs 150 crore to reimburse the fees of Andhra students.

“They have surplus budget and it is a matter of just Rs 150 crore. We are unable to understand why Telangana is creating such an issue for this small amount. It is just state terrorism,” Mr Kishore Babu said.

Justifying the AP government’s decision not to reimburse Andhra students in Telangana, he said it would send a wrong signal.

He said, “Education and fees are not two separate issues. If we pay for Andhra students there, it would send a wrong signal. It will be accepting their decision, which is against the Constitution.” He added that his government was keeping all options open.

Mr Kishore Babu said that his government had approached the Centre as well and would also take legal action once the Telangana government took a decision.

"We should not reach a point where the judiciary has to intervene. If the executive fails, that will definitely happen. We are trying all options," he said.