HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday directed the state government to place on record detailed data regarding the substantial tuition fee reimbursements allegedly pending to engineering colleges across Telangana.

Justice EV Venugopal was hearing a batch of writ petitions accusing the government of wilful and deliberate failure to release nearly Rs 1,500 crore towards fee reimbursement dues.The petitioners contended that despite repeated representations and court proceedings, the amounts have remained unpaid for over five years.

Senior counsel L Ravichander, appearing for Keshav Memorial Institute of Technology, argued that if such outstanding sums were owed by a private party, courts would have taken stringent action against the defaulter. He submitted that although “tokens” were issued acknowledging admitted liabilities, actual disbursement has not followed.

Under the state’s fee reimbursement scheme, tuition fees of students belonging to SCs, STs and BCs are paid directly by the government to colleges. According to the petitioner institution, approximately Rs 56 crore remains due to it alone.

Referring to government orders issued in 2024 that reportedly carried budgetary sanction of around Rs 1,500 crore, senior counsel contended that failure to release sanctioned funds could amount to financial impropriety and administrative misconduct. He further criticised the responses filed by government pleaders as inconsistent with earlier assurances given to the court.

It was also argued that the prolonged non-payment has severely affected institutions, which must meet salary obligations of teaching and non-teaching staff and discharge statutory liabilities such as provident fund contributions.

The court sought comprehensive particulars from the state in this regard and posted the matter for further hearing.