BAS Schools Deny Re-Entry To SC, ST Students Over Pending Fees

WARANGAL: SC/ST students under the Best Available Scheme (BAS) scheme face a crisis as several private schools in Warangal and Karimnagar barred their return after Dasara, demanding the government clear pending funds. Around 27,000 students are currently enrolled under the scheme across Telangana.

Under the scheme, the government pays ₹42,000 per residential student and ₹28,000 per day scholar each year. In return, the schools must offer free education, meals, and other facilities to students from these communities. Despite fulfilling these obligations, the schools say they are struggling to survive due to non-payment of funds. Many managements have taken private loans or borrowed at high interest rates to keep operations running, and some are reportedly on the verge of selling assets to clear debts.

The BAS Schools Association said it was forced to take this step because the government had not released payments for the past three years, pushing them into severe financial distress.

Launched in 1990, the BAS scheme aims to provide quality education to SC and ST students by placing them in select private schools.

Before the Dasara break, school managements had issued notices to parents, asking them not to send their children back until the government cleared the pending dues.

BAS Schools Association state secretary Yadagiri Shekar Rao told Deccan Chronicle that for the past three years, schools have been forced to take loans and even pawn gold to maintain operations. “The financial backlog has made it impossible to pay teachers, meet operational costs, or provide basic meals to students,” he said.

Adviser Challa Nagarjun Reddy added that the association had already brought the issue to the notice of Deputy Chief MinisterMallu Bhatti Vikramarka, SC/ST welfare minister Adluri Laxman Kumar, and other top officials, but there has been no response so far. “Schools are unable to pay teachers, repay loans, or even feed students. In desperation, they had no choice but to take this extreme step,” he said.

District SC development officer Bhagya Lakshmi acknowledged that the problem of pending payments has persisted for years. “The government is aware of the issue, but school managements should not block students as it affects their education. If schools act harshly or expel students while blaming the government, action will be taken against them,” she warned.

Meanwhile, the association’s decision has left poor students and their parents anxious about the future. Many parents are worried about their children’s education being disrupted midway through the academic year, especially for Class 10 students preparing for their board exams.

Thousands of children studying under the three-decade-old scheme now face uncertainty, with both parents and school managements urging the government to intervene immediately and release the pending funds to safeguard the students’ education and future.