Fee Reimbursement: Vijayashanthi Urges Telangana Govt to Crack Down on Non-Compliant Private Colleges

Hyderabad, June 27: Congress MLC Vijayashanthi has urged the Telangana government to ensure that fee reimbursement dues released to private colleges are matched by strict enforcement of quality standards in educational institutions.

Referring to recent reports that the High Court directed the state government to clear pending fee reimbursement dues to private college managements, Vijayashanthi said the government is duty-bound to respect and implement the court's interim orders while ensuring that students do not suffer.

She, however, suggested that the government should also act against private colleges that fail to maintain the minimum infrastructure and academic standards prescribed by the state. While private institutions are justified in collecting fees, they must show the same commitment towards providing quality education and adequate facilities to students, she said. The Congress leader pointed out that the Vigilance Commission had reportedly submitted a report to the government highlighting deficiencies in several private colleges, including inadequate infrastructure and failure to comply with prescribed norms.

Vijayashanthi said that while the government is prepared to honour its financial obligations under the fee reimbursement scheme, it should simultaneously initiate action against institutions found violating the norms based on the Vigilance Commission's findings.

 She also recalled raising the issue during the recent Telangana Legislative Council session and stressed that public funds released through the fee reimbursement scheme should translate into quality education for students.

"The government must ensure that every rupee spent under the fee reimbursement scheme benefits students by improving educational standards and enforcing accountability among private colleges," Vijayashanthi said.