GO 97 – Harish Sets Sept 7 Deadline for Withdrawal, Warns of Secretariat Siege
He alleged that the proposed Skill University was to be a public-private partnership, and said that there was concern that government polytechnic colleges could be brought under private control.
Hyderabad: Senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao on Tuesday demanded that the government withdraw GO No. 97 that proposes to merge polytechnics with the Skills University, and warned that if this demand is not met by September 7, the BRS would lead a siege of the Secretariat with, he said, one lakh polytechnic students.
Addressing protesting students at the Government Polytechnic College in Masab Tank, Harish Rao, a a former student of the college, said, “Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is putting the future of nearly one lakh polytechnic students at risk. The government is trying to merge government polytechnic colleges with ITIs and hand them over to the proposed Skill University. This is completely unacceptable.”
He alleged that the proposed Skill University was to be a public-private partnership, and said that there was concern that government polytechnic colleges could be brought under private control.
“There are 113 polytechnic colleges in Telangana, of which 59 are government colleges. The government is now attempting to bring these institutions under the Skill University framework. This is not an issue concerning one college. It is a question concerning the future of an entire generation,” he said.
He also alleged that the government was more interested in the valuable lands and assets of government polytechnic colleges than in the future of students. “Government buildings and lands worth thousands of crores are being brought into a framework where there are serious concerns about their future use. The government must clarify whether these assets are being targeted for mortgaging or raising loans,” Harish Rao said.
Harish Rao also slammed Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on his remarks regarding foreign travel by him and BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao. “Rama Rao and I are only MLAs. An MLA does not require permission from the Central government merely to travel abroad,” he said.
“Only in specific circumstances involving constitutional positions or official government delegations are such permissions required. The Chief Minister should understand the basic rules before making irresponsible statements,” Harish Rao said. He urged the Chief Minister not to divert attention from the genuine problems faced by students and youth.
