HYDERABAD: In view of the delay in releasing fee reimbursement arrears by the state government, private professional colleges have announced an indefinite closure from September 15.
Members of the Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Education (FATHI) submitted a notice to Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) Chairman Prof V Balakista Reddy in Hyderabad on Friday.
Their representation stated that the Reimbursement of Tuition Fee (RTF) for SC, ST, BC, EBC, and minority students has been pending for a long time, amounting to thousands of crores. Most technical institutions largely depend on RTF for their survival.
College managements pointed out that despite requesting the immediate release of Rs 12 crore dues pertaining to generated tokens with budgetary allocation, and the establishment of a Fee Funding Bank, the government has not acted.
The prolonged delay has pushed institutions into a severe financial crisis, with faculty and staff salaries unpaid for months. Many teachers are unable to meet basic needs, forcing them to stay away from duties, disrupting academics and causing hardship to students.
“Instead of resolving the issue, the Higher Education department has been preoccupied with other matters. In view of this untenable situation, private institutions in Telangana have unanimously decided to close colleges indefinitely from September 15.
The date marks the birth anniversary of Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, celebrated as Engineers’ Day. In his memory, we will observe it as Black Day and commence our strike until the government releases the pending fee reimbursement dues,” said N Ramesh Babu, Chairman of FATHI.