Eng colleges association slams TS-Govt over fee issue

Hyderabad, July 26 (INN): The Telangana Engineering and Professional Colleges Managements Association on Saturday slammed the State Government for the uncertainty over fee reimbursement issue.

The All-Party meeting, organised by the Association, here condemned the attitude of State Government and blamed it for causing worries for the college managements, parents and students.

Participating in the meeting, BJP floor leader Dr K Laxman said that almost 85 per cent of students studying in Telangana colleges were locals. He said that pre-1956 clause of the State Government would create more problems for the students pursuing professional courses in 2nd, 3rd and fourth year. He accused the government of playing with the lives of students.

However, TRS General Secretary K Prabhakar defended the government stand and said it was firm on protecting the interest of Telangana students. He said the number of colleges went up from 350 to 700 after the introduction of fee reimbursement scheme.

Referring to the report of Task Force, he said almost 70 per cent seats in the minority colleges were being sold. He also informed that as many as 499 colleges have no labs, 319 colleges have no land, there is lab apparatus in 565 colleges and 125 of them had no library.

Many colleges have no Professors or Assistant Professors on regular basis. In view of this situation, he said Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to formulate a new policy. He offered to arrange a meeting of college managements with the Chief Minister on the issue.

TDP Deputy floor leader Reventh Reddy condemned that the State Government for levying pre-1956 condition on students. He said government has no mechanism to verify the 1956 nativity claims. He alleged that the Chief Minister was trying to waste one academic year of students.

CPI (M) leader J Ranga Reddy said that the government could frame news rules. But it must continue the old rules, till new guidelines are framed.

Secunderabad MP Bandaru Dattatreyya, Ch Ramchandra Reddy (Khairtabad MLA), T Krishna Reddy and R Krishnaiah of TDP, Ponnam Prabhakar and Jagannath Rao of Congress, Ramulu Naik (MLC), Gattu Ramchandra Rao of YSRCP and representatives of other political parties including Lok Satta participated in the meeting.

Association leader KVK Rao said that the private colleges have been providing 1.5 lakh direct jobs and 3.5 lakh indirect jobs. He said at one side the TRS Government was rolling out the red carpet for industrialists, but on the other it is hurting the interest of colleges which has already provided employment to nearly 5 lakh people.

Association Chairman N Gautam Ram, General Secretary MA Khaleel, office bearers Malla Reddy, Sunil Kumar and others also spoke.