The four-day statewide strike of private colleges in Telangana demanding the release of pending dues of over Rs 4,000 crore by the government was called off on Thursday, October 17, following a deliberation between the stakeholders and the administration.
The strike called by Telangana Private Degree & PG Colleges Management Association (TPDMA) began on Monday, October 14, following the Dasara vacations, which saw the participation of private college owners and the closure of around 1,800 private graduate and postgraduate colleges in the state.
TPDMA said that the private colleges were collapsing under the extreme financial burden, which include pending rental payments, utility services bills, non-payments to the staff and could not function due to non-release of fee reimbursement arrears by the government since 2021, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
The bandh was dissolved after intense protests, which garnered support from various groups including the Backward Classes (BC) Welfare Association and the Students' Federation of India (SFI).
Thursday, October 17, witnessed deliberations and discussions at various levels, concluding with the calling off of the bandh.
Earlier in the day, National BC Association leader R Krishnaiah met Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and explained the plight of the private colleges which have nearly 20 lakh inter-degree-PG students enrolled and demanded the release of pending arrears.
He asked the state to release the budget on priority and suggested that it should release the budget in two phases.
"Due to non-payment of fee reimbursement by the government for the last three years, the financial situation of the college has become chaotic. They are unable to pay the salaries of the employees, rents of the buildings and even the electricity bills,” said R Krishnaiah.
He stressed, “The building owners are going to vacate the college buildings due to non-payment of salaries. Even day-to-day management has become a burden. In such fateful situations, the government will not be able to run the college unless the fee arrears are paid immediately".
Meanwhile, members of TPDMA, met Principal Secretary to Government (Education) Burra Venkatesham who assured them on behalf of the government that the dues would be released soon and requested them to call off the strike.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Bojja Suryanarayana Reddy, State President, TPDMA, said, " We met the principal secretary, who on behalf of the CM, assured that steps will be taken to release the fee arrears as soon as possible. Therefore we have decided to call off the bandh as of today. We will decide our next course of action depending on the measures that the government will take in the days ahead".
Meanwhile, the Students' Federation of India took out a rally at YMCA Narayanguda in support of the strike and demanded that the state release the scholarship funds for the students.
SFI State Secretary T Nagaraju, State Assistant Secretary Damara Kiran and Hyderabad District Secretary Ashok Reddy said that Rs 8,300 crore fee reimbursement for scholarships arrears was pending for the last seven years due to which poor students were deprived of education, stated The New Indian Express report.
