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Andhra Pradesh Budget: Poor allocations for fee sop

The State govt is facing criticism for allocating Rs 1,316 crore for fees reimbursement and scholarships through the welfare department.

Vijayawada: Paltry allocations for the fees reimbursement scheme in the Andhra Pradesh budget proposed for the year 2017-18 is creating worries for students. The State government is facing criticism for allocating Rs 1,316 crore for fees reimbursement and scholarships through the welfare department. The state government had started the fees reimbursement scheme in the year 2008 to support students of economically backward classes. The then Y.S Rajasekhar Reddy’s government had given top priority to the scheme and lakhs of students benefited. Governments had spent around Rs 5,000 crore on this scheme during 2012-13 in united Andhra Pradesh.

But priority to the scheme had come down year by year after bifurcation. Around 15,13,883 students had applied for fees reimbursement in the year 2015-16 through Electronic payment and Application System of Scholarships (E Pass) and government had released a sum of '2,537.57 crore which included arrears of Rs 1,564.13 crore, according to the statistics of AP E Pass. Similarly, around 15,80,191 students have applied for fees reimbursement in 2016-17 and the Government had released only Rs 559.40 crore, which is worrying the students.

Opposition parties have started making allegations against the government for the poor allocations to the fees reimbursement scheme. “Government is ignoring the future of the younger generations with its poor allocation to the fees reimbursement scheme. Around Rs 1,900 crore was due to various colleges and the government had made nominal allocations of Rs 1,316 crore, which is insufficient,” says the leader of the opposition Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

“Fees reimbursement is a matter relating to the future of students, which should be given top priority. This TD government is trying to decrease allocations for welfare schemes, citing financial crisis. Government should stop wasting public money in the name of events and concentrate on building a bright future for younger generations,” says Malladi Vishnu, former legislator.

Meanwhile, government condemned the allegations made by opposition parties. Ravela Kishore Babu, Minister for Welfare, speaking to Deccan Chronicle, said that the government had intended to focus on the welfare of students. “We have cleared dues of around Rs 4,000 crore, which was set aside by the Congress government in united Andhra Pradesh,” he said. “We have brought about major reforms in the reimbursement scheme and are releasing dues every year. The government is releasing scholarships every month to help students,” says Ravela Kishore Babu.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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