Hyderabad, Nov. 9: Senior BRS leader Shaik Abdullah Sohail has accused the Congress government of neglecting minority education in Telangana. He said the government had no moral right to celebrate National Education Day without fulfilling its promises to minority students.
In a statement on Monday, Sohail criticised the government over pending scholarships, delayed fee reimbursement and inadequate support for higher education.
He said the government was preparing to celebrate National Education Day on November 11, the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. However, he alleged that it had failed to uphold Azad’s vision of educational advancement.
Sohail recalled the Congress Minority Declaration released before the 2023 Assembly elections. It included the Abdul Kalam Taufa-e-Taleem scheme, which promised financial assistance to minority students at different educational stages.
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The promised assistance included Rs. 10,000 after Class 10, Rs. 15,000 at Intermediate level and Rs. 25,000 after graduation. It also promised Rs. 1 lakh for postgraduate studies and Rs. 5 lakh for M.Phil and PhD programmes.
He alleged that the government had neither launched the scheme nor announced a timeline for its implementation.
Abdul Kalam Taufa-e-Taleem Scheme Remains Unimplemented
The BRS leader also questioned the government’s handling of scholarships and fee reimbursement. He said delayed payments were placing the academic future of economically weaker students at risk.
Regarding overseas scholarships, Sohail claimed that the government had released around Rs. 76 crore against a budget of Rs. 130 crore. However, he alleged that actual expenditure stood at only Rs. 1.30 crore.
He further claimed that pending bills and cheques had exceeded Rs. 164 crore. According to him, the previous BRS government had supported 2,498 minority students through overseas scholarships worth Rs. 395.87 crore.
Sohail also raised concerns over minority residential schools. He said the previous BRS government had expanded the network to serve more than 1.25 lakh students. However, he claimed enrolment had declined to around 85,000.
He questioned the government’s failure to conduct the promised Special DSC for Urdu-medium teachers. He said vacancies in teaching and administrative posts were affecting educational standards.
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The BRS leader also alleged that the government had failed to fulfil its promise of allocating Rs. 4,000 crore annually for minority welfare.
Sohail demanded the implementation of the Abdul Kalam Taufa-e-Taleem scheme and clearance of pending scholarship and fee reimbursement dues. He also sought the release of overseas scholarship funds and recruitment to vacant posts.
Additionally, he urged Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who also holds the Education portfolio, to release a white paper on minority education. He sought details of budget allocations, actual expenditure, pending dues, student enrolment and the status of election commitments.
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