Student anger spills over as SFI stages protests over pending fee reimbursement 

Tension prevailed here outside the Ministers’ quarters in Banjara Hills and outside various District Collectorates in the State on Tuesday as activists of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and students in large numbers protested demanding immediate release of Reimbursement of Tuition Fees funds.

The SFI leaders and the hundreds of students were following Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s assertion that all his Cabinet colleagues are readily available to lend an ear to everyone in crisis.

The protest in the city too was to ‘lay siege to the Minister’s residence’ to resolve the pending fee reimbursements and of the various issues in the education sector.

According to SFI State committee, the State government owes ₹8,158 crore dues towards RTF in the past six years. The State’s failure to reimburse this amount is making private colleges and institutions retain original certificates of candidates, in a bid to recover fees personally from candidates and delaying their prospects of higher education and jobs.

Police tackling the protesting members of Students Federation of India at Ministers’ quarters in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit:
SIDDHANT THAKUR

SFI State president S. Rajnikanth, condemning the highhandedness of the police during the protest, including injuries to some leaders, shirts being torn and detention of several leaders, said the Congress government must bring a special Government Order to prohibit collection of dues from students and the retention of certificates by colleges.

In addition to RTF, unaddressed issues are non-release of cosmetic charges for Gurukuls, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and Ashram Schools for the past nine months, pending school uniform and textbook distribution in Gurukuls, dues to Best Available Scheme, to universities and for infrastructure under Mana Ooru Mana Badi.

Several leaders and activists were said to be detained at Bolarum, Trimulgherry, Bowenpally and Karkhana police stations.

Earlier, a widespread ‘X’ storm session by various colleges, student bodies and students featuring #TGFeereimbursement and #ClearStudentDues was organised on Monday, and some users posted: “If the government can build skyscrapers and statues on time, why not release student scholarships on time? Priorities define governance”.

Also voicing the concerns were civil society organisations that said the Congress government must prioritise spending for the education sector to help students from the Backward, Minorities, SC and ST communities get equal access to education, as against the delays that are hurting college managements and disturbing students’ careers.