Hyderabad: Members of the Telangana Private Degree & PG Colleges Managements Association (TPDPMA) on Wednesday took to the streets at Dharna Chowk in Indira Park protesting non-release of fee reimbursement arrears, a situation that they claimed threatens the survival of numerous degree colleges across the state.
Despite Telangana state government allocating around Rs 2,500 crore annually for fee reimbursement, only 40%, amounting to almost Rs 1,000 crore, is directed towards non-professional students including those in
junior, degree, and PG courses, said association president Bojja Suryanarayana Reddy.
Protestors said arrears for the academic years 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 have added up to Rs3,000 crore to date. However, the government has released only Rs 750 crore to junior, degree, and PG colleges. “We demand immediate disbursement of the outstanding Rs 3,000
crore to prevent closure of these institutions,” Reddy said.
In addition to the financial concerns, the association had also called for a review of the Degree Online Services, Telangana (DOST) system to streamline admissions. They advocated for a revision of degree programme fees to
align with the operational costs of the colleges, including salaries and maintenance.
Their further demands included granting permanent affiliation to colleges with permanent buildings and a five-year affiliation to those that have been operational for over a decade.
The association also urged the government to introduce a separate slab for property tax and electricity charges for educational institutions, along with necessary concessions to ease their financial burden.
