Degree colleges call off strike

Hyderabad: Members of the Telangana Degree Colleges Managements Association called off the strike and State wide bandh of degree colleges on Thursday after getting assurance from Principal Chief Secretary for Education Burra Venkatesham.

The issues came to the forefront, as for the past four days colleges staged protests, and on Wednesday 1,800 colleges across Telangana remained shut to protest the government's failure to clear fee reimbursement dues and scholarships.

According to the colleges’ managements, the State is yet to clear dues of approximately Rs 5,900 crore. The Principal Chief Secretary held a meeting with representatives of the degree colleges’ managements and assured that the dues would be cleared within three days.

Suryanarayan Reddy, president of the association, said after assurance from the government, “We have planned to call off the protest. Since the government did not pay the fee reimbursement for the last three years, the financial condition of the colleges became chaotic; we could not pay salaries to employees of colleges; we could not pay rents of buildings; we could not even pay electricity bills; due to these reasons, we have suspended the classes.”

R Krishnaiah, president, National BC Welfare Association, said, “With assurance from the government, we have planned to call off the strike.” Meanwhile, on Thursday, various student associations took out a rally, demanding immediate release of pending dues.