Revanth Warns Private Colleges Over Fee Strike Blackmail
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday warned the managements of private colleges, which have gone on an indefinite strike demanding payment of fee reimbursement arrears, that the government would take stringent action if they resort to “blackmail tactics” and cause hardships to students in the name of protests.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday warned the managements of private colleges, which have gone on an indefinite strike demanding payment of fee reimbursement arrears, that the government would take stringent action if they resort to “blackmail tactics” and cause hardships to students in the name of protests.
Addressing a press conference at his camp office, Revanth Reddy said the state government was fully aware of who was instigating the strike and which political parties were backing the college managements.
He said the government would not tolerate any collusion between political parties and private educational institutions. Reiterating that the government would release fee reimbursement funds in a phased manner, he said the issue of pending fee dues was not new, which was inherited from the previous BRS regime.
The Chief Minister asserted that education was a service, not a business, but private colleges had turned it into a profit-making venture through exorbitant fees and donations.
He announced that the government would soon tighten regulations to curb the collection of huge donations for engineering admissions. “We will see how these colleges collect donations from next year,” he warned, accusing many colleges of lacking basic infrastructure and qualified faculty while demanding full reimbursement from the government.
Revanth Reddy alleged that those leading private college associations were individuals who had earlier sought undue favours from the government and, upon being denied, resorted to pressure tactics.
He said Nimmaturi Ramesh, head of the FATHI, had approached the government seeking approvals for 12 engineering colleges, which were rejected. Similarly, another management member, Jayaprakash Reddy from Mahbubnagar, was denied permission to establish an off-campus centre in Hyderabad. “Their requests were rejected, and now they are using the arrears issue as a pretext to blackmail the government,” he said.
Dismissing claims by private colleges that the government owed between `9,000 crore and Rs 12,000 crore in dues, the Chief Minister clarified that the pending amount was only Rs 3,600 crore, which accumulated after the Congress came to power two years ago. “We will clear these dues in a phased manner. The rest may be arrears left behind by the previous government,” he said.
Revanth Reddy warned that any attempt to play with students’ futures would be dealt with firmly. “Whether it is colleges or political parties, we will not spare anyone who harms students. Education is not a business; it is a service. Blackmail tactics will not be tolerated,” the Chief Minister stated.