Reimbursement will be cleared in phases: Seethakka

PANCHAYAT Raj and Rural Development Minister Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka) on Saturday assured members of the Telangana Assembly that all the outstanding fee reimbursement payments to college managements will be cleared in a phased manner to ensure free education for economically backward students.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad

The state still has outstanding arrears amounting to ₹5,520.60 crore. In this connection, tokens have been generated for ₹1,200 crore. She said the processing of bills is ongoing, and payments will be released in phases, the minister assured the Assembly.

Raising the issue during Question Hour, former minister T Harish Rao said that failure to pay these arrears to college managements led to the closure of many junior and degree colleges across Telangana. He pointed out that final-year students are at risk of losing an academic year due to the non-issuance of their certificates. To safeguard the future of thousands of students and educational institutions, it is crucial that at least ₹2,000 crore be disbursed by the end of this month to alleviate their difficulties, he said.

BRS MLA Palla Rajeswar Reddy, CPI MLA K Sambasiva Rao, and others expressed concerns over the delayed fee reimbursement dues and demanded that the state government release all arrears immediately. They said many colleges have shut down as managements were unable to pay power bills, water bills, and staff salaries.