Hyderabad: BRS Legislature Party Deputy Floor Leader T. Harish Rao has criticised the Congress government for allegedly failing to clear pending fee reimbursement dues, warning that the delay is putting the future of thousands of students at risk.

Harish Rao raised the issue after several affected students met him on Sunday and explained the difficulties they were facing. He said colleges were allegedly withholding certificates from students because of unpaid fee reimbursement dues. According to him, several engineering and degree graduates who secured jobs with packages of Rs 6 lakh to Rs 7 lakh were unable to join their jobs as they had not received their certificates.

He said some students were also unable to pursue higher education or travel abroad despite having appointment and admission letters. Harish Rao urged Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to intervene immediately and direct colleges to release the certificates so that students do not lose employment or higher-education opportunities.

Harish Rao said the fee reimbursement scheme, introduced during the tenure of former Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, was continued by the previous BRS government because it provided crucial support to students from economically weaker families.

He claimed that the previous BRS government had released Rs 20,576 crore under the fee reimbursement scheme and benefited more than 1.98 crore students. He alleged that the Congress government was weakening the scheme by failing to clear the pending dues and questioned its approach towards SC, ST, BC and minority students.

The BRS leader also accused the government of prioritising other expenditures while keeping students’ fee reimbursement payments pending. He appealed to the government to treat the issue as an urgent matter and release the outstanding funds.

Reacting to the Chief Minister’s earlier reported remarks describing engineering education as “criminal waste”, Harish Rao said many of the same engineering graduates had now secured jobs in global companies through their talent and hard work.

Harish Rao said every rupee spent on students’ education should be considered an investment in Telangana’s future. He questioned why students from poor and rural families should be forced to suffer because of delays in clearing fee reimbursement dues.

He demanded immediate action from the Congress government to clear the pending payments and ensure that eligible students receive their certificates without further delay.