'Andhra government will clear every rupee of pending fee reimbursement dues,' vows Minister Lokesh
VIJAYAWADA: Minister for HRD and IT Nara Lokesh emphasised that the government is a permanent institution, while politics are limited to elections. He urged YSRCP President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to acknowledge this principle.
Lokesh accused the previous YSRCP government of undermining democracy by halting development and welfare initiatives through what he described as destructive governance. He highlighted the coalition government’s efforts to address the fee reimbursement dues left pending by the previous administration.
“Despite the severe financial challenges inherited from the previous government, we are systematically clearing fee reimbursement dues. The YSRCP regime left arrears of Rs 4,271 crore in the education sector, which we are now honouring in full. Financial constraints will not hinder students’ education. Our commitment is clear—every rupee of the pending dues will be paid,” Lokesh said.
He criticised the YSRCP government, which came to power in 2019, for stalling development projects initiated during the TDP regime from 2014 to 2019. Lokesh described this approach as dictatorial and harmful to democracy.
“As promised, we are clearing the dues in a phased manner. Our government has already released Rs 788 crore for fee reimbursement earlier, Rs 600 crore on Friday, and will release another Rs 400 crore soon,” Lokesh said in a statement issued Saturday.