Telangana Colleges End Strike After Assurance To Release Rs 600 Crore Dues

Thousands of private professional and degree colleges across Telangana are set to reopen today after the Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Institutions called off its indefinite strike following the government's promise to release Rs 600 crore in pending fee reimbursement dues immediately. They also agreed to release another Rs 600 crore in monthly instalments without setting a timeline.

The agreement was reached following an intervention by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, which brought an end to the academic disruption that began on September 15.

The strike was initiated by the Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Institutions (FATHI), a body representing college managements, to protest the state government's delay in releasing the tuition fee reimbursement (RTF) arrears.

According to the federation, the accumulated dues, which some estimates place as high as Rs 8,000 crore, had created a severe financial crisis, leaving many institutions unable to pay staff salaries for months.

After multiple rounds of talks with college representatives, the government, led by Deputy Chief Minister Vikramarka, agreed to a partial payment of Rs 600 crore to clear a portion of the dues.

"The pending dues were a debt inherited from the BRS government," Mr Vikramarka stated, emphasising his administration's commitment to resolving the issue. He also announced the formation of a committee to streamline and rationalise the fee reimbursement process to prevent similar crises in the future.

Following the government's assurance, FATHI chairman N Ramesh Babu confirmed that the strike was off, calling the payment promise a "good sign".

While the colleges had initially demanded a larger sum of Rs 1,200 crore, the partial payment, coupled with the government's pledge to reform the system, was deemed a sufficient step to end the protest and ensure that the academic year for lakhs of students could continue without further interruption.

Reports suggest that the chief minister had also invoked a vigilance and enforcement report on irregularities in several of these colleges, threatening closure, to bring the management in line.