HYDERABAD: The dispute over long-pending dues to private degree colleges has re-emerged with colleges affiliated to five universities remaining shut on Tuesday, even as semester exams are scheduled in the week ahead. The college owners had called a statewide strike last month, but called it off following assurances by senior officials.
On Tuesday, undergraduate and postgraduate colleges affiliated with Mahatma Gandhi University, Kakatiya University, Satavahana University, Palamuru University, and Telangana University remained closed, disrupting semester exams and impacting over seven lakh students from 1,048 colleges.
The Telangana Private Degree & PG College Management Association (TPDPMA) is demanding the release of at least half of the Rs 1,300 crore dues, pending for more than three years.
College owners say they are in no position to relent
The association stated that no meaningful progress has been made since their last meeting with officials in October. While colleges under Osmania University continued with their scheduled exams, other universities have postponed the tests until November 26.
TPDPMA president Bojja Suryanarayana Reddy, pointing to the gravity of the situation, told TNIE: “We will not relent until the government releases the dues. The financial crisis has worsened, especially since 2018, and we have been struggling to sustain operations.” He said that Rs 600 crore — Rs 450 crore for private colleges and Rs 150 crore for government colleges — was urgently needed.
Tokens for approximately Rs 1,200 crore were reportedly issued over the last 18 months, but the dues remain unpaid, Suryanarayana Reddy revealed. According to the association, 20% of dues for 2021-22, 70% for 2022-23, and 100% for the current academic year were still pending.
Later on Tuesday, the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) held discussions with TPDPMA members, promising to arrange a meeting with the chief minister in the coming days. TGCHE chairman Prof. V. Balakista Reddy assured the TPDPMA that steps would be taken to resolve the matter.
Prof. Sriram Venkatesh, TGCHE secretary, expressed his concern for students’ welfare and education quality. He told TNIE: “We are working toward a resolution and ensuring exams resume after November 26. We are trying to arrange a meeting with the chief minister so that the college owners can explain their situation to him and a solution is found.”