Rama Krishna Sangem
Federation of Telangana Higher Educational Institutions (FATHI) stuck to its strike call for all private colleges from November 3, Monday. This strike is to protest inordinate delay on the part of Telangana State government in releasing dues of reimbursement of tuition fees (RTF) for the last four years. Thousands of private colleges including those of engineering, pharmacy, nursing, education and degree & PG courses will join the strike.
Briefing the media after a meeting of executive committee of FATHI in Hyderabad on November 1, Saturday, its chairman Dr N Ramesh Babu said it was unfortunate that the State government had threatened the private colleges with conducting vigilance raids for violation of the rules. “This is deplorable, the government is threatening us with raids if we ask for release of our legitimate dues of RTF, pending for the last few years,” said Dr Ramesh.
He said that the private colleges had given a deadline by November 2, Sunday for the release of a part of the dues promised by the panel of ministers recently. “Otherwise, we will go ahead with our strike from Monday,” he said. As per FATHI estimates, around Rs 10,000 crore of dues are to be paid to the colleges. FATHI has been asking for payment of at least Rs 5,000 crore immediately to save the colleges from brink of financial crisis.
Protest rallies on November 6, 10 or 11
FATHI has plans to intensify the stir from November first week. On November 6, a protest rally will be held in Hyderabad with around 1.50 lakh members of all colleges staff, followed by another rally of 10 lakh students in the city either on November 10 or 11. After that, FATHI plans to gherao the residences of ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs, besides district collect offices. FATHI vice-chairman Aljapur Srinivas said that government ordering vigilance raids on colleges was nothing a blackmailing tactic and added that it won’t work.