Telangana BJP chief begins two-day hunger strike over fee reimbursement | Hyderabad News
Hyderabad: Telangana BJP said it had collected signatures from five lakh students across the state as part of its campaign for the release of pending fee reimbursement dues, even as state president N Ramchander Rao began a two-day hunger strike on Monday over the issue. Rao said BJYM activists had visited colleges across the state and collected signatures from students demanding the payment of their fee reimbursement dues. He said students had expressed their anger against the Congress govt by signing petitions seeking the release of the arrears.He alleged that nearly 20 lakh students had been affected by fee reimbursement dues amounting to around Rs 12,000 crore. He claimed that the previous BRS govt had left around Rs 8,000 crore in arrears, while the Congress govt had added another Rs 4,000 crore. He alleged that colleges were unable to pay staff salaries due to delayed payments and were withholding original certificates of students. He also alleged that students protesting over fee reimbursement and other issues had faced police action.The state BJP chief targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleging that he was travelling across the country and provoking students in BJP-ruled states but had no time to visit Telangana and answer students on fee reimbursement and scholarship dues. He challenged Rahul Gandhi to explain why Telangana students were being denied the benefits. He said the BJP’s fight would continue until the students received their dues and urged students and youth to support the campaign.‘Govt failed to implement its promise’BJP MP Rekha Sharma backed Ramchander Rao’s hunger strike and said the party was fighting for students and youth. She alleged that fee reimbursement arrears had risen from around Rs 6,000 crore when the Congress came to power to nearly Rs 12,000 crore now. Sharma questioned why the govt had failed to clear the dues and said students should not have to struggle for their basic educational rights. She also alleged that the Congress govt had failed to implement its promise of providing financial assistance of up to Rs 5 lakh for self employment. She said around 43 lakh applications were reportedly pending, and urged students and youth to support Rao’s campaign.
Source link
