YSRCP accuses the AP government of failing to pay over Rs 12,400 crore in student fee reimbursements. Spokesperson G. Veera Shekhar Reddy challenged Minister Nara Lokesh to provide proof of payment amidst reports of student distress and protests.
YSRCP Challenges Nara Lokesh Over Fee Reimbursement Dues
Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], November 14 (ANI): YSRCP spokesperson G. Veera Shekhar Reddy challenged Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Nara Lokesh to provide evidence for his claim that Rs 5,000 crore in fee reimbursement dues had been paid. He said Lokesh should answer questions about student dues instead of making personal remarks about YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s family.
According to an official release from YSRCP, Shekhar Reddy said fee reimbursement and Vasathi Deevena dues have exceeded Rs 12,400 crore: about Rs 9,100 crore in fee reimbursement and Rs 3,300 crore in Vasathi Deevena. He said the government had paid only Rs 2,800 crore in two and a half years, leaving around Rs 9,600 crore outstanding. CAG figures show that just Rs 1,771 crore was paid under fee reimbursement in 2024–25. He said students are being denied entry to classes, hall tickets and certificates because colleges have not received their fees. In Chittoor, two poor students at a private engineering college attempted suicide after facing fee pressure. Shekhar Reddy asked Lokesh to release a white paper showing when the claimed Rs 5,000 crore was paid and from which budget. He said the government must prioritise students’ education over publicity events and spending, according to a release.
Earlier, MLC Kalpalatha Reddy and Student Wing Working President A Ravichandra accused the TDP coalition government of putting students’ futures at risk by failing to clear fee reimbursement arrears. They demanded immediate payment of pending dues and called on Education Minister Nara Lokesh to resign, holding him and the government responsible for the distress faced by students. Speaking at the YSRCP central office, Kalpalatha Reddy said students in Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s home district, Chittoor, had protested because colleges were withholding certificates and restricting access to examinations over unpaid fees. According to a press release, Kalpalatha alleged that Lokesh had promised in the Legislative Council that certificates would not be withheld and dues would be released, but students continued to face pressure.
