YSRCP leaders accuse the Andhra government of neglecting students by failing to clear ₹9,600 crore in fee reimbursement dues, leading to protests and a suicide attempt. They demand the Education Minister’s resignation over the mounting crisis.
YSRCP Accuses Andhra Government of Risking Student Futures Over Dues
MLC Kalpalatha Reddy and Student Wing Working President A Ravichandra on Friday accused the TDP coalition government of putting students’ futures at risk by failing to clear fee reimbursement arrears. They demanded immediate payment of pending dues and called on Education Minister Nara Lokesh to resign, holding him and the government responsible for the distress faced by students.
Speaking at the YSRCP central office, Kalpalatha Reddy said students in Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s home district, Chittoor, had protested because colleges were withholding certificates and restricting access to examinations over unpaid fees.
According to a press release, Kalpalatha alleged that Lokesh had promised in the Legislative Council that certificates would not be withheld and dues would be released, but students continued to face pressure. Meanwhile, Student Wing Working President Ravichandra referred to the November 12 suicide attempt by a second-year CSE student at SVCET College in Chittoor and demanded a thorough inquiry.
He said fee and scholarship dues for about 11 lakh students across 13 quarters totalled Rs. 12,400 crore. The government had paid Rs. 2,800 crore, leaving Rs. 9,600 crore pending. The leaders alleged that students from SC, ST, BC, EWS and minority communities were being pushed away from higher education.
Earlier on Friday, YSRCP President and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and state Education Minister Nara Lokesh, holding the duo directly responsible for the alleged suicide attempt of a female student at a private engineering college in Chittoor.