BC Students Protest in Dilsukhnagar Over Rs 8,000 Crore Fee Reimbursement Dues

Backward Class community students staged a demonstration in Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad, demanding the immediate release of pending fee reimbursement arrears amounting to Rs 8,000 crore. The protest was led by Bharatiya Janata Party Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament and National BC Welfare Association president R. Krishnaiah.

The rally was organised by association working president Neela Venkatesh alongside other leaders. Addressing the gathering, Krishnaiah questioned Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s reluctance to clear the pending dues, describing the administration's actions as an unprecedented "anti-BC" stance. He stated that despite repeated assurances, the Congress government has failed to allocate necessary funds for 14 lakh students belonging to Backward Class, Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and minority communities, pushing educational institutions into severe financial distress.

Demonstrators highlighted the widespread consequences of the prolonged funding delays across the state. According to protest organisers, the backlog has led to the shutdown of 300 colleges due to unpaid salaries for lecturers. Furthermore, as many as four lakh students who have completed their academic courses remain unable to collect their certificates because colleges are withholding documents pending fee clearances. Additionally, nearly 30,000 students reportedly skipped engineering counselling out of anxiety and uncertainty regarding the scheme.

Krishnaiah contrasted the current administration with those of previous chief ministers, spanning from Jalagam Vengala Rao to K. Chandrashekar Rao. He noted that earlier governments had introduced or expanded scholarships, welfare hostels, and reservation benefits for marginalised communities. In contrast, he accused the current chief minister of rolling back existing welfare schemes rather than launching new ones, and urged the state to restore the previous fee reimbursement system without introducing conditional restrictions.

The protesters outlined a series of specific demands, including the immediate clearance of the Rs 8,000 crore arrears, the continuation of the old fee reimbursement framework, and a full fee waiver as pledged in the Congress election manifesto. They also demanded that student scholarships be enhanced from Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 per student, in line with the model implemented in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Krishnaiah further criticised the representation of Backward Classes in the state administration, alleging that only three ministers were appointed against a promise of eight, with similar deficits in nominated posts. Warning the state government of escalating action, he announced that protesters would gherao the camp offices of Members of the Legislative Assembly if their demands are not addressed during the upcoming Assembly session.