Hyderabad: In a strong appeal, the Students Federation of India, KVPS, and Telangana Girijana Sangham have demanded that the government immediately release the pending dues of ₹175 crore under the Best Available Schools Scheme (BASS). The groups have announced plans for phased protests, starting with delegations to district collectors on November 18.
During the unveiling of a wall poster at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram in Hyderabad, T. S. Babu, R. Sriram Naik, and T. Nagaraju pointed out that approximately 9,000 Dalit and 6,000 tribal students were receiving education in corporate and private schools through the scheme, supported by the social welfare and tribal welfare departments. The leaders criticised the state government for not clearing the fees for the past two years.
“While the previous BRS government left dues unpaid for eight months, the Congress-led administration, which claims to be a people’s government, has yet to clear them even after a year in power. This is a clear sign of neglect and irresponsibility,” Nagaraju said.
Consequently, private school managements are struggling to provide boarding and meals to these students. “Parents are being pressured to pay the fees, creating additional hardships,” he added. The leaders urged the Chief Minister to release the pending funds immediately.
