Hyderabad: A protest by students demanding the payment of long-pending scholarship and fee reimbursement affected traffic flow at ECIL Crossroads on Friday. Organised by the Telangana BC Students Association, led by Vemula Ramakrishna, the protesters said 16.75 lakh students were affected with the government not paying Rs 4,000 crore.
The criticised the government for reportedly prioritising contractor payments over clearing students’ dues. Ramakrishna said the money was pending for four months. They said the delay in paying students was an attempt to undermine the fee reimbursement scheme, critical for BC, SC and ST students. Colleges have withheld certificates due to unpaid fees, derailing students’ higher education and career prospects. “Our education is like a candle in the wind. Without financial support, our dreams are dying,” said Anji Jellapalli.
Protesters also demanded an increase in scholarship amounts from Rs 5,500 to Rs 20,000 per annum for degree students, matching Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Hostel students highlighted substandard food and facilities due to rising prices. “Officials who’ve never visited hostels have no idea about our plight,” lamented Bhupesh Sagar.
