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The indefinite strike by private professional colleges in Telangana demanding fee reimbursement dues entered its fourth day, with 2,000 institutions remaining shut. FATHI has demanded Rs 5,000 crore be released immediately and warned of mass protests if dues remain unpaid

Hyderabad: The indefinite strike by private professional colleges in Telangana demanding the release of fee reimbursement dues entered its fourth day on Thursday.

Around 2,000 professional colleges, including engineering, pharmacy, MBA, MCA, B.Ed, and nursing institutions across the State, remained shut, demanding that the government release 50 per cent of the Rs 10,000 crore in pending fee reimbursement dues.

The Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Institutions (FATHI) announced a boycott of pharmacy exams under Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) and urged the university to postpone the examinations.

FATHI has made it clear that the strike will continue until  Rs 5,000 crore out of the Rs 10,000 crore reimbursement arrears is released. It also demanded that the remaining Rs 5,000 crore be paid in monthly instalments of Rs 500 crore over 10 months.

FATHI president Ramesh Babu said they had never gone against the government, but the “non-release” of pending dues had made it impossible for managements to run the colleges. The government has invited FATHI for talks, but the association has ruled out withdrawing the strike until its demands are met.

After the government constituted a committee for the mobilisation of finances for the fee reimbursement scheme, private colleges said the strike would continue. The government on Tuesday announced that the committee, comprising officials and FATHI representatives, will study a sustainable fee reimbursement model through a Trust Bank.

While welcoming the committee, FATHI said it should be asked to submit its report in one month, and not three months as announced. The Federation announced that a meeting of faculty members from all colleges will be held at LB Stadium in Hyderabad on November 8, with around 70,000 teachers expected to attend.

Ramesh Babu warned that if their demands were not met, they would stage a massive protest involving 10 lakh students. He also said that during talks in September, the government had promised to release Rs 1,200 crore in dues before Diwali, but only ₹300 crore had been disbursed so far.