Naidu lobs fee issue in Telangana court

Hyderabad: Even as friction between the two states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh continues as to when counselling for admission to engineering and pharma colleges should begin, Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has come forward with a proposal that Telangana government pay 42 per cent of the fee reimbursement burden of Andhra students seeking admission in Telangana.

Naidu contended that since liabilities between AP and Telangana have been divided in the ration of 58:42, it would be appropriate if Telangana government considered financing the studies of Andhra students in Telangana as yet another liability and pay 42 per cent of the financial commitment for them. He said:'Chandrasekhar Rao should not treat AP as an enemy state.

As far as I am concerned, I want both the states to prosper.' He wanted the TS government not to drag the issue any further since students were suffering and several of them either have left for other states or planning to leave.

Telangana government has moved the Supreme Court seeking time till October 31 as it requires time to assess the genuineness of colleges which have been getting free reimbursement for students and include only genuine colleges for counselling purpose.

But Andhra Pradesh government wants the counselling process to begin immediately, and toeing its line AP State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) has given notification for commencement of certificate verification and is making preparations to implead itself in the Telangana government's case in the apex court on Friday seeking a direction for both the states as to when the counselling should begin.

The APSCHE says that it requires the apex court's direction since it had given an order in the past that under no circumstances admission process should go beyond August 15.

APSCHE Chairman Prof L Venugopala Reddy, while deciding to invite representatives of both the governments to come to an understanding on the date for commencement for counselling on August 4, conferred with AP Chief Secretary IYR Krishna Rao on Thursday and reportedly discussed the APSCHE's decision to implead in the Telangana government's case for direction from the Apex court on counselling.

Since Telangana government wants to have all the colleges in the state inspected and make a list of genuine colleges for extending fee reimbursement to Telangana students only, Andhra government has been crying foul over treating AP as an enemy state.

But the Telangana government is going ahead with its action plan and even constituted a five-member official committee for preparing guidelines for implementing the new fee reimbursement scheme - Financial Assistance to Students of Telangana.

Earlier in the day, Telangana Minister T Harish Rao slammed AP government as to why it was trying to arm-twist TS government to pay the tuition fee of Andhra students seeking admission in Telangana educational institutions.

'Why are you putting forth this strange demand so forcefully? Nowhere in the country or for that matter in the world, has anybody made such a demand,' Harish Rao said.