The New Indian Express ·
Degree colleges in Telangana threaten stir at Jantar Mantar if dues not cleared
HYDERABAD: The managements of private degree college in Telangana are preparing to intensify their agitation over the prolonged delay in releasing fee reimbursement dues, warning of a massive protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi if the state government fails to meet their demands.
As part of their protest programme, the managements plan to launch relay hunger strikes across educational institutions. If the government fails to respond, they said they would mobilise nearly 10,000 teachers, college representatives and other stakeholders for a major protest before taking the agitation to the national capital.
The managements have demanded immediate clearance of fee reimbursement arrears pending for five academic years, from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
Dr Bojja Suryanarayana Reddy, president of the Telangana Private Degree and PG Colleges Management Association, said the government had released around Rs 170 crore for the current academic year, 2026-27, towards the new batch. However, the amount was insufficient to address the accumulated arrears. He said around Rs 875 crore was required to substantially clear the pending dues of degree colleges. Non-professional colleges are in a more difficult position as they do not have comparable sources of revenue, he said.
Professional colleges, he pointed out, earn additional revenue through counselling-based admissions and management quota seats, while degree colleges largely depend on tuition fee reimbursement.
The prolonged delay in reimbursement payments has affected the financial functioning of several institutions, with managements struggling to meet recurring expenses and other commitments, he said.
Dr Suryanarayana Reddy also recalled the government’s earlier assurance that reimbursement amounts would be released regularly and that the accumulated dues would be cleared by the end of March. However, the promised payments had not been released in full, they alleged.
The management of colleges have also been seeking an appointment with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and senior officials to present their demands. They said representations had been submitted to the Chief Minister’s Office and the Education department, besides several follow-ups with officials. However, no concrete response or appointment had been received so far, they alleged.
With the issue remaining unresolved, the managements said they would go ahead with the relay hunger strike and intensify their mobilisation. If the government fails to clear the pending reimbursement dues, they said they would take the agitation beyond Telangana and stage a large-scale protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.