Telangana Private Colleges Declare Indefinite Bandh Over Unpaid Fee Reimbursement Arrears

Hyderabad: The Telangana Private Degree and PG Colleges Management Association (TPDMA) has announced an indefinite bandh starting Tuesday, citing unresolved fee reimbursement arrears. TPDMA President Bojja Suryanarayana Reddy and Secretary Yada Ramakrishna stated that the strike would continue until the government settles the pending dues.

The association revealed that the bandh was driven by the non-cooperation of employees and college building owners, which has made it impossible to maintain college operations. Managements expressed frustration over the government’s failure to release fee reimbursement funds, which has crippled their ability to pay staff salaries, building rents, and loan interest.

“Due to the non-cooperation of employees and building owners, we have no choice but to declare an indefinite bandh. We will not resume classes until the government clears the outstanding fee reimbursement arrears,” stated Bojja Suryanarayana Reddy and Yada Ramakrishna.

The association explained that the state government allocates Rs. 2,500 crore annually for fee reimbursements across professional and non-professional courses. Out of this, Rs. 1,250 crore is designated for non-engineering programs. However, fee reimbursement dues from 2021-2024 remain largely unpaid, with 20% pending for the 2021-22 academic year, 70% for 2022-23, and 100% for the current academic year.

Despite repeated appeals to government officials and education authorities, the colleges have not received the funds needed to keep their institutions running. Over the past 10 months, Rs. 1,200 crore in tokens has been issued, but the actual disbursement of funds has yet to occur. The association is urging the government to address the issue immediately to prevent further disruption to education services for 11 lakh students.