Hyderabad, August 28: Congress MP Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy has accused the BRS Govt of betraying the jobless and students across Telangana State in the last 9 years.
He was addressing the Youth Congress and NSUI Convention in Kodad on Monday. Kodad ex-MLA Padmavathi Reddy, Youth Congress president Shiv Sena Reddy, NSUI State President Balmoori Venkat, and other senior leaders also addressed the convention. Earlier, Uttam Kumar Reddy also led a massive bike rally which witnessed the participation of hundreds of Congress activists.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) has jeopardized the futures of lakhs of students and youth. He said that the KCR-led government’s failure to provide Fee Reimbursement has resulted in thousands of students discontinuing their higher education. The state government’s inability to provide government jobs or create opportunities in the private sector has left over 40 lakh youth unemployed. He also criticized CM KCR for not delivering on the promise of an unemployment allowance of Rs 3,016, made prior to the 2018 Assembly elections.
“The financial strain on students is evident. The state government owes Rs 4,592 crore in fee reimbursement and scholarship dues, affecting around 15 lakh students. Despite the High Court’s directive to release funds in three terms for an academic year, the state has been releasing partial amounts biennially. This delay has forced many students to drop out or take high-interest loans to continue their education,” he alleged.
Furthermore, while the Fee Regulatory Committee has increased fees for various courses, the government’s fee reimbursement has not kept pace. For instance, while the fee for a PG course in a private college is Rs. 37,700, the reimbursement is only Rs. 20,000, leaving students to bear the additional burden, he pointed out.
Uttam Kumar Reddy also highlighted the mismanagement of funds, stating that the KCR government diverted 60% of the scholarship funds provided by the Center for SC and ST students for other purposes.
The Nalgonda MP said that the unemployment crisis is deepening. Over 40 lakh individuals, including 25 lakh qualified youth registered with the State Public Service Commission, remain jobless. Despite promises of filling up 1,41,735 vacancies, the BRS Government has not filled a single post. The TSPSC’s credibility is also under question, with multiple instances of question paper leaks, he said.
“The statistics are grim. For 503 Group-1 posts, there were 756 applications per post, including applications from 424 PhDs. Over 12.6 lakh candidates applied for 17,291 posts in various departments, averaging 73 applicants per post. The majority of these applicants come from BC, SC, ST, and minority backgrounds,” he said.
Higher education in Telangana is also suffering. Over 4,000 sanctioned posts across universities remain vacant, affecting the quality of education. Institutions like Osmania, Kakatiya, Mahatma Gandhi, and Palmuru Universities are grappling with a severe faculty shortage.
However, Uttam Kumar Reddy assured that the Congress party has a clear roadmap for the welfare of students and youth. He cited the ‘Hyderabad Youth Declaration’ unveiled by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi in May this year, which promises employment opportunities and educational reforms. These include filling two lakh vacancies within the first year, establishing a Youth Commission, setting up employment and skill training centers, upgrading universities, and providing free e-scooters to female students above 18 years, among others.
The Congress MP expressed confidence that these promises would be fulfilled once the Congress assumes power in the upcoming Assembly elections. He claimed that the Congress party would win more than 70 Assembly seats in the coming elections. (Hydnow)
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