Engineering colleges to launch stir from Feb 15.

HYDERABAD: The engineering colleges managements’ association on Sunday kicked up a fresh row by threatening to launch an agitation soon if the state government fails to clear the fee reimbursement dues worth Rs 3,737 crore.

Of the total Rs 4,037 crore fee reimbursement arrears, the state government had so far paid only Rs 300 crore, the managements representatives said. As per the Supreme Court’s directive, the managements were to pay the fee reimbursement money to students before January 29.

The management representatives, who conduced a meeting in the city on Sunday, stated that they will go on agitation from February 15 and asked the state government to clear the dues before that time. The court had directed the state government to pay the money from its coffers before January 29 failing which the colleges can collect the fee from students.

“Since we do not want to trouble the students, we are planning to go on agitation against the government. We gave the government seven months time to clear the dues. We are even planning to file a contempt petition against the government,” said K V K Rao, management representative, St Mary’s Group of Institutions.

The managements might go on strike by declaring holidays to colleges. Even some students unions are expected to participate in the agitation. In the meeting, 10 engineering college unions (those from Telangana, Andhra and Rayalaseema regions) joined hands to form a consortium to fight for the fee reimbursement.

The college representatives also demanded the state government to complete the admission process to engineering colleges before June 30 as a delay in admission is causing several students to take admission in other states. The colleges also opposed the move to grade them on the basis of availablity of facilities as it would allow some colleges to exact high fee from students in the long run.

Managements also demanded the government to introduce uniform fee structure for merit and management quota seats. The management quota seats should be reduced to 5 per cent from the current 30 per cent of total seats, they demanded.

In the meeting, representatives of 512 engineering colleges, 100 pharmacy colleges and 100 MBA colleges participated.

Managements opposed the weightage given to intermediate marks in the Eamcet rankings. “Intermediate board has lost its credibility with several students applying for revaluation. Hence, the insistence for Intermediate marks weightage in Eamcet rankings is irrational,” management representatives argued. The managements also asked the state government to appeal against the 50 per cent mark rule introduced by All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE).

According to the current rule students should get at least 50 per cent marks in intermediate group subjects to be considered for admissions in engineering colleges. “We demand the state government to oppose the AICTE move,” the representatives concluded.

Source : TOI