Government urged to refund exam fee to students says TDP MLA Anagani Satya Prasad

Amaravati: TDP MLA Anagani Satya Prasad on Saturday expressed concern that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government was deliberately imposing multiple burdens on the people of the state in the form of huge bank loans, heavy taxes and collection of fees without conducting examinations.

Satya Prasad demanded that the YSRCP government refund the exam fee that was collected from the students last year. Those exams were not conducted at all in view of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the government misused these funds without returning them to the students.

In a statement here, the TDP MLA said that Rs 53 crore was collected from the 10.65 lakh Intermediate students towards conducting exams during the pandemic. Huge amounts were also collected towards conducting exams for 5 lakh Class 10 students.

The government collected these fees despite appeals from students, parents and opposition parties for not holding the exams. Finally, the court passed serious strictures forcing the Jagan regime to cancel the exams.

He said that it was the basic duty of the government to return the fee to the students when the exams were not conducted.

The people faced never before financial problems during the Covid time. Instead of rescuing them, the government put additional burdens on the poorer sections.

At least this year, the exams should be conducted by giving fee exemption. Over Rs 70,000 crore was collected from people in the form of taxes on garbage, essential commodities, petrol, diesel, current and so on, he said and questioned why should not the government return the exam fee.