By DC Correspondent

Copyright deccanchronicle

HYDERABAD: BJP state president N. Ramchander Rao announced that the party’s full support for the bandh called by private colleges demanding the release of mounting fee reimbursement dues totaling Rs 8,000 crore from the state government.He emphasised that higher education in Telangana was in crisis as private college managements were unable to pay the salaries of their teaching and non-teaching staff. In a statement, Ramchander Rao highlighted the enormous backlog of dues had severely affected the financial health of these colleges, many of which were struggling to operate and meet salary commitments to professors, lecturers and teachers. Despite being in power for two years, the Revanth Reddy-led Congress government has not released a single rupee towards these dues. While ministers have been making empty promises over the past six months, assuring a resolution, no clear decision has been made to release the pending payments. Ramchander Rao also criticised the Congress government for completely ignoring its election promise of issuing `5 lakh education assurance cards to students. He pointed out that the state was currently in such a poor condition that pensions were not even being paid to retired teachers. Additionally, he accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of making a misleading promise of allocating `1,000 crore to Osmania University during a recent visit. Strongly condemning the government’s negligent attitude towards the education sector, Ramchander Rao stated that it was unacceptable that new universities have yet to receive even basic infrastructure. He urged the state government to take immediate and necessary action to protect the education sector by releasing the pending fee reimbursements and expedite the construction of own college and university buildings across Telangana.