Did Pvt Colleges in Telangana End Strike After Successful Talks with Government?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Private colleges in Telangana ended their strike after government intervention.
- The state will release Rs 600 crore for fee reimbursements.
- Future payments will be addressed in a phased manner.
- A committee will review the fee reimbursement scheme.
- The strike was a response to long-standing financial issues.
Hyderabad, Sep 15 (NationPress) Private professional colleges in Telangana have officially ceased their indefinite strike as of Monday after the state government committed to disbursing Rs 600 crore promptly towards outstanding free reimbursement dues.
This significant development occurred late Monday during discussions between government officials and representatives of the Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Education (FATHI).
Leading the ministerial delegation, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka conveyed that the government is responsive to the challenges faced by college managements and the educational future of their students.
“Although it poses a financial challenge, the government has resolved to release Rs.600 crore for the fee reimbursement dues for which tokens have been distributed,” he stated.
Vikramarka, who also manages the Finance portfolio, assured that outstanding payments would be settled gradually.
He attributed the substantial pending dues to the prior BRS government and announced the formation of a committee aimed at rationalizing the fee reimbursement scheme.
Ministers Sridhar Babu and Uttam Kumar Reddy also engaged in the negotiations. Following this breakthrough, college managements confirmed that institutions would reopen on Tuesday.
This indefinite strike had involved various colleges, including those focused on engineering, pharmacy, nursing, MBA, MCA, and B.Ed programs.
On September 12, FATHI had submitted a notice to the Chairman of the Telangana Council of Higher Education, Prof V. Balakista Reddy.
The Federation highlighted that a staggering Rs 10,000 crore in fee reimbursement arrears remains unpaid. They indicated that if the government releases Rs.1,200 crore related to already issued tokens, they would reconsider their decision to continue the indefinite closure.
Initial discussions on Sunday between college management representatives and the government did not yield a resolution, but both parties agreed to reconvene.
The Deputy Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the managements for their decision to end the strike and their commitment to restart classes from Tuesday.