Hyderabad: The Congress party has threatened to launch mass agitation demanding immediate clearance of Fee Reimbursement dues of over 14 lakh students in Telangana State.
Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on Wednesday evening, TPCC President N. Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, during his reply to short discussion in Legislative Assembly on Wednesday,
has tried to downplay the sufferings and pain of over 14 lakh students and nearly 2.5 lakh employees of private colleges and their families by describing the delay in clearance of Fee Reimbursement dues as ‘routine’.
He said that the Chief Minister refused to acknowledge that the career of over 14 lakh students was at stake. Instead, KCR justified the delay on filmsy grounds.
Despite admitting that he promised on the floor of the House of clearing the dues by April 2016, the Chief Minister cited different reasons for not honouring his own words.
He announced that the Congress party would move a Privilege Motion against the Chief Minister.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the SC Welfare Minister G. Jagadish Reddy gave an incomplete statement of just two paragraphs on the Fee Reimbursement issue in the Assembly.
He said that the statements of KCR and Jagadish Reddy not only lacked clarity, but they failed to give any deadline by which the dues would be cleared.
He said that the State Government had presented three annual budgets of over Rs. 1 lakh. But it failed to clear the dues of Rs. 4,410 crore.
Further, he said that the minister did not give break-up of dues for SC, ST, BC and minority students, who comprise almost 93% of total students in the State.
The TPCC chief said that the present winter session of Assembly, it appears, was convened by the Chief Minister only to defend demonitisation move of the Central Government. However, he said that the State Government was citing the same demonitisation as the reason to delay payments.
Contrary to this, the State Government was prompt in making payments to contractors for Mission Bhagaritha and other projects. He also accused the State Government of diverting scholarships of SC and ST students sent by the Central Government.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the opposition members were not allowed to speak after the Chief Minister made his statement in the House on Fee Reimbursement.
Stating that it was Parliamentary practice for the Chief Minister or ministers to reply to clarifications sought by the opposition members, he said that the rights of opposition legislators have been encroached upon by adjourning the House immediately after CM’s reply.
The TPCC chief said that the Congress party would continue its agitation until State Government clears all dues of Fee Reimbursement scheme.
Leaders of Opposition K. Jana Reddy (Assembly) and Mohammed Ali Shabbir (Council), legislators Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, G. Chinna Reddy, T. Jeevan Reddy, Komatireddy Venkatreddy, T. Rammohan Reddy, DK Aruna, N. Padmavathi, Dr. J. Geetha Reddy, A. Sampath Kumar, Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy and Vamshi Chand Reddy were also present. (INN)