1,000 Crs For Reimbursing Fee Arrears

The state government on Thursday announced that it has released Rs. 1,000 crores of the Rs. 3,600 crores towards the fee reimbursement of underprivileged classes of students.

The amount has been credited to the students' bank accounts.

Minister For Social Welfare Pithani Satyanarayana told mediapersons that Rs. 1,300 crores had already been released on March 31st. By the next month, another instalment of Rs. 900 crores will be released, he stated.

The fee reimbursement budget for the 2010-2011 finanacial year was Rs. 1,300 crores, however, the current financial year's budget for the reimbursement has been increased, said the Minister.

The state government had earlier decided to pay the fee reimbursement arrears to private institutions in 3 instalments over a period of 1 year.

Apart from the reimbursement of the fee arrears, the government has also decided to scrutinize the applications of students to maintain transparency in the whole affair.

Out of the 2.68 lakh applications that the government had received, 1.40 lakh applications are bogus.

The total number of eligible candidates has been put at 24 lakhs. As part of efforts to curb bogus applicants, the government has decided to introduce a new system (like thumb impression of students on the forms) for verifying the applications.

Pithani Satyanarayana said that 100% funds have been released For ST candidates, 75% funds for SC candidates and 25% funds have been released for the BC and EBC candidates.

Speaking of the government's election manifesto, Transport Minister Botsa Satyanarayana, who was a member of Cabinet Sub-Committee, told reporters later that the government would stand by their election manifesto of promoting higher education among poor students. The government would implement the poll manifesto in letter and spirit, he stated. (INN)