Telangana Backward Classes Vidyarthi Sangham, the student wing of National BC Welfare Association, has demanded that the State government clear fee reimbursement pertaining to 15 lakh students pursuing different professional and other courses, increase scholarship amount and pay full fee of BC and EBC students.
A meeting of the BC Vidyarthi Sangham was held here on Sunday to discuss the action plan to mount pressure on the government to clear fee reimbursement dues and pay scholarships as the dues accumulated had gone up to ₹3,500 crore for the last two years. To press for release of the dues, the student body has decided to organise ‘Chalo Collectorate’ and also protests in front of RDO and MRO offices across the State on August 25.
Speaking at the meeting, NBCWA president and YSR Congress Party Rajya Sabha member R. Krishnaiah said the Telangana government was neglecting the BC communities by not clearing the fee reimbursement dues for the past two years. He stated that the college managements were harassing students by barring them from attending class, sending them out of class and withholding certificates of passed-out students citing non-payment of fee or non-release of fee reimbursement dues from the government.
As a result, some students had stopped their education midway and were opting for wage employment to pay the fee to continue their education and those who bagged employment were running from pillar to post to clear the fee so that they could get their certificates from the colleges to join work.
Stressing the need to increase the day scholars’ scholarships, Mr. Krishnaiah said the salaries of six employees were increased twice and dearness allowance was hiked 10 times since formation of Telangana and keeping in mind the price rise, which had gone up four times during the last five years, there was a need to increase the yearly scholarship amount to from the existing ₹5,500 to ₹20,000.
There was also a need to increase college hostel mess charges of BC, ST and ST students from ₹1,500 a month to ₹3,000 a month and that of school hostel students from ₹1,100 a month to ₹2,000 a month.
Vidyarthi Sangham president V. Ramakrishna, BC bodies functionaries G. Krishna, C. Rajender, K. Janardhan, P. Satish, A. Ramakoti, M. Nagarau and G. Shivakumar participated.
