Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy issued a no-nonsense ultimatum to private professional colleges on November 7, threatening severe action if their planned indefinite strike over fee reimbursement delays disrupts students’ academic futures. Speaking at a press meet, Reddy slammed the Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Institutions (FATHI) for “playing with students’ lives,” asserting that while pending dues will be cleared soon, no delays in the academic calendar will be tolerated. “Bills may be cleared sooner or later, but not the students’ future,” he declared.

Reddy announced a crackdown starting next academic year: no donations allowed from private colleges, and any attempt to close institutions as leverage will face government intervention. He accused college heads, including Aurora Educational Institutions chief Ramesh, of pressuring him for new campuses while holding students hostage. “Education is not a business but a service,” Reddy emphasized, alleging a political party instigated FATHI to destabilize the government.

The CM refuted FATHI’s claim of Rs 9,000 crore in pending dues, revealing the actual amount is Rs 3,600 crore, with Rs 2,600 crore inherited from the previous K Chandrasekhar Rao regime. He outlined Telangana’s tight finances: Rs 18,500 crore monthly revenue, of which Rs 6,500 crore goes to salaries and Rs 6,000 crore to loan interest, leaving just Rs 5,000 crore for welfare and bills. Reddy invited college managements, MP R Krishnaiah, and activist Manda Krishna Madiga to propose solutions.

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Reddy pledged to clear dues in phases but warned against blackmail tactics, vowing the government won’t bow to threats of closures. He accused some colleges of inflating bills and running profit-driven empires under the guise of education. The strike threat, set to begin soon, now hangs in balance as Reddy draws a red line: student welfare trumps all.

With tensions rising, Reddy’s tough stance signals a new era of accountability in Telangana’s private education sector. Students breathe easier, but college managements face a stark choice: cooperate or face the state’s wrath.

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