25 Lakh students affected with Fee Reimbursement

Staunch supporter of former Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and Congress MLA Konda Surekha on Monday demanded that the state government fulfill the aspirations of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy by implementing his welfare schemes in letter and spirit.

Talking to media persons at Assembly Media Point, she charged the state government of having failed to clear the arrears of tuition fee reimbursement of students, who are pursuing their studies in private engineering colleges. This is despite the Supreme Court refusing to give the state any more time, the former minister said.

Terming the delaying tactics of state as `unfortunate,’ Ms Surekha said the government should consider clearing the fee arrears as its primary responsibility and do justice to students by immediately releasing the fees arrears.

She also criticized the state government for its irresponsible attitude in not responding to former Kadapa Mp Ys Jaganmohan Reddy’s hunger fast, which entered its fourth day at Varalaxmi Vedike at Indira Park. Ms Surekha said the government should arrange funds for fee reimbursement on the lines of Racha Banda, for which it had no problems in allocating Rs 2500 crore.

She said about 25 lakh students were facing an uncertain future as the government failed to release fee dues and colleges. The colleges have already said that they would be forced to shut down by February 24, for lack of funds, the former minister pointed out. Ms Surekha demanded that the government make an announcement in the Assembly in this regard to clear the doubts of all leaders and parents of students.