- Government clears fee reimbursement dues after talks with college bodies
- FATHI withdraws protest; exams to resume soon, says chairman N Ramesh
Telangana colleges call off bandh | Hyderabad, Nov. 8: Talks between Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Education Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, and representatives of private college managements ended successfully on Friday, November 7.
The meeting resulted in the withdrawal of the bandh by private higher educational institutions that had been demanding immediate clearance of fee reimbursement arrears.
Responding to the Federation of Private Higher Education Institutions’ (FATHI) appeal, the state government assured that the pending arrears of Rs 1,500 crore would be released.
Out of this amount, Rs 600 crore had already been disbursed in two instalments earlier, and another Rs 600 crore will be released immediately.
The balance of Rs 300 crore will be cleared within the coming days, officials confirmed at the meeting.
Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka said that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and the cabinet had mandated him and Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy to resolve the issue through negotiation.
He stated that the government would ensure the regular monthly release of funds for fee reimbursement and had established a committee to fast-track decisions.
Telangana colleges call off bandh
The committee will also examine possible reforms in tuition fee disbursement and include both government officials and management representatives, he added.
FATHI chairman N Ramesh expressed regret that several examinations were delayed due to the strike but stated that arrangements were now being made with universities to resume them quickly.
He clarified that the federation never made any adverse remarks against officials of the Education Department or the offices of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister.
Some media outlets, he said, had misrepresented their statements, prompting a clarification to the IAS Officers’ Association.
FATHI secretary general KS Ravikumar announced that, effective Saturday, all protest programmes—including the teachers’ condolence meeting of November 8 and the students’ rally planned for November 15, had been cancelled.
The meeting was attended by senior officials including Special Chief Secretary (Welfare) Sabyasachi Ghosh, Principal Finance Secretary Sandeep Kumar Sultania, SC Welfare Secretary Buddha Prakash, Education Department In-charge Secretary Sridevasena, Intelligence IG Vijay Kumar, and FATHI leaders Kodali Krishnarao, Aljapur Srinivas, and Dr Ramdas.
The federation thanked the state government for addressing their demand and expressed appreciation to students and parents for their patience during the agitation.
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