NRR Vows Stronger Stir Over Fee Reimbursement
He said the BJP’s uncompromising struggle against the Revanth Reddy government would continue until the fee reimbursement of fees and scholarship amounts were released. “If this government plays with the lives of students by failing to release fee reimbursement and scholarships, the BJP will intensify its agitation in support of students,” he warned
HYDERABAD: BJP state president N. Ramchander Rao warned on Wednesday that the party would intensify its agitation in support of students if the Congress government failed to release pending fee reimbursement dues and scholarships.
Rao was addressing a mahadharna ‘Fee Bakayi — BJP Ladayi’, organised by the BJYM in Karimnagar, demanding the immediate release of fee reimbursement dues and scholarships pending across Telangana.
He said the BJP’s uncompromising struggle against the Revanth Reddy government would continue until the fee reimbursement of fees and scholarship amounts were released. “If this government plays with the lives of students by failing to release fee reimbursement and scholarships, the BJP will intensify its agitation in support of students,” he warned.
Ramchander Rao alleged that the Congress government, which had come to power promising a welfare state, had now plunged the state into a severe crisis. He said the previous government had left around ₹8,000 crore in fee reimbursement dues while the present government was also acting negligently by failing to release funds and was “playing with the lives of students”.
He alleged that the state Cabinet had decided to provide ₹2,000 crore as advance fee reimbursement only after the government was reprimanded by the Telangana High Court. However, not a single rupee had been released so far, he said.
Expressing concern over the plight of nearly 20 lakh students awaiting fee reimbursement, Rao said college managements were unable to pay faculty salaries due to the non-release of funds, resulting in the closure of educational institutions in some cases. Students and their parents were facing severe financial and mental distress as they were unable to pay fees, he said.
He also criticised the Congress for failing to fulfil the ‘Youth Declaration’ promises made by Rahul Gandhi during the elections. He alleged that the party was acting with a “colonial mindset” by ignoring the future of students.
Ramchander Rao asserted that the BJP would continue to fight on behalf of students until the Congress government yielded and released the pending fee dues.
Earlier, BJYM state president Ganesh Kunde said the organisation had been fighting relentlessly at the grassroots level for the past month to secure students’ rights and the release of scholarships. He strongly condemned the police for issuing notices to college managements and students, alleging that the action was taken out of fear of student unrest.
Kunde warned Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to remember that history had shown that governments had fallen when student power revolted. If the legitimate demands of students were not met, the BJYM would intensify the movement and lay siege to collectorates, he said. He demanded that the Revanth Reddy government immediately release the fee reimbursement dues and scholarships, failing which the Chief Minister should resign.
BJP state vice-president and district in-charge Shanthi Kumar, district president Saini Mallesham, city mayor Srinivas, deputy mayor Sunil Rao, former MLA Bodiga Shobha, and thousands of students and youth participated in the protest.