Hyderabad: Students of the Government Nizamia Tibbi College, a unani medicine college, in Hyderabad, are facing hardships due to not receiving their stipends for the past seven months, despite making multiple representations to the college administration.
Both UG and PG students are dipping into their family’s savings or taking loans from acquaintances for their studies. Those living in the hostel are struggling to manage their meals as there is no mess facility in the hostel.
A first-year PG student told Deccan Chronicle: “This is the seventh month now that we have not received the stipend amount of Rs 20,000 from the college. It is very difficult to survive for so long without any financial assistance. I have been scraping my savings all this time. But if we don’t get the stipend soon, it will be difficult to stay in the hostel.”
The worst affected were those living in rented accommodations outside the college, as they have not been able to pay rent.
A second-year PG student, who stays in a rented accommodation with classmates, said that they had not paid the house rent for four months and that if the situation persists, they would have to vacate the accommodation.
Final year UG intern students had similar complaints as they await their stipend of Rs 10,000.
Students said they were planning to return to their hometowns if the dues were not paid this month, irrespective of the adverse effect on their academics.
“We have met the college officials several times, but to no avail. The only response we get is that the dues are pending with the government finance department,” said another student.
Students complained that the government was being unfair to them as students from other medical courses were getting their stipends.
College principal Dr Shehzadi Sultana told Deccan Chronicle that the stipends were pending for four months, and not seven, as claimed by students, as the file was not cleared by the government. “Attempts were made to get the funds flowing to clear the stipends of the students,” Sultana said, adding that they were unsure when the dues would be cleared.
