Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], March 23 (ANI): Leaders of the BRS party staged a protest near Gunpark in Hyderabad on Monday, demanding the immediate release of pending fee reimbursements for students.

Addressing the protest, BRS MLA KP Vivekanand Goud said nearly Rs 12,000 crore in student fee reimbursements remain pending 2.5 years into the Congress government, affecting poor and SC, ST, BC, and minority students. They urged the budget session to release the pending fees immediately, warning that delays are harming students' futures.

"The government has promised to fulfil the fee reimbursement of the students. But it's been 2.5 years since the Congress government came to power. Nearly Rs 12,000 crores of fee reimbursements are pending. We, the BRS party, are demanding that this budget session immediately release all the pending fee reimbursements to the students because poor and SC, ST, BC, and minority students are suffering," he told ANI.

"They are not getting their certificates after the completion of their degrees. It's playing with the future of the students. We immediately demand that the Congress party release the pending fees," Goud added.

Meanwhile, BRS MLA Palla Rajeshwar said, "Since the formation of Telangana, when KCR became Chief Minister, the scholarship benefits were extended to many other sections. Earlier, full amounts were given only to SCs and STs, but then it was also extended to some BCs and also to minorities. Whoever secured a rank within 10,000 used to get a 100% scholarship. Almost 10 to 12 lakh students receive around ₹2,500 crores every year. This money does not go to the management; it goes to the students. There are two kinds of fees they have divided: MTF (Maintenance Fund) and RTF (Reimbursement of Tuition Fee). Students receive MTF directly into their accounts for maintenance, while RTF is given directly to the management of the institutions."

Talking about the hardships of the students, he said, "In the last two and a half years, the government hasn't paid a single rupee either to the students or to the colleges. Right now, students are facing problems. Earlier, there were some arrears of around ₹2,500 to ₹3,000 crores. But in the last three years--continuously for the last four academic years--the total has now reached almost ₹12,000 crores."

"They are saying that in the budget, they have allocated only ₹4,000 crores. During the last academic year, all the students and institutions went on strike, but the government did not listen, even though they made many promises," Rajeshwar added.

(ANI)

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.