Protest Erupts as BRS Demands Release of Fee Reimbursement Funds

BRS leaders on Monday staged a massive protest at Gun Park in Hyderabad, demanding the immediate release of pending student fee reimbursement funds. They accused the government of failing to clear dues for nearly two-and-a-half years, leaving students from poor SC, ST, BC, and minority communities in serious distress.

BRS MLA KP Vivekananda Goud alleged that the government , despite being in power for over two-and-a-half years, has not settled fee reimbursement arrears of nearly ₹12,000 crore. He said the delay has severely impacted underprivileged students, with many graduates unable to obtain their certificates due to unpaid fees an issue he said is jeopardizing their future. He urged the government to clear all pending dues during the ongoing budget session.

MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy recalled that after the formation of Telangana, the government led by KCR had significantly expanded scholarship schemes. He noted that full fee reimbursement, once limited to SC and ST students, was extended to BCs and minorities, benefiting lakhs of students annually. He added that those securing ranks within 10,000 were eligible for 100% scholarships, with yearly assistance reaching nearly ₹2,500 crore.

He further explained that the scheme was implemented through two components MTF, which was directly credited to students’ bank accounts, and RTF, which was paid to educational institutions.

However, he alleged that in the past two-and-a-half years, the government has not released any funds either to students or colleges. The pending dues, which once stood at ₹2,500–3,000 crore, have now surged to ₹12,000 crore across four academic years. He criticized the current budget allocation of ₹4,000 crore as inadequate to address the crisis .