Telangana private colleges call off strike after govt’s assurances

HYDERABAD: The four-day statewide strike of private colleges demanding the release of pending dues of over Rs 4,000 crore by the government was called off on Thursday, following a deliberation between the stakeholders and the administration.

The strike called by Telangana Private Degree & PG Colleges Management Association (TPDMA) began on Monday, following the Dasara vacations, which saw the participation of private college owners and the closure of around 1,800 private graduate and post graduate colleges in the state.

TPDMA said that the private colleges were collapsing under the extreme financial burden, which include pending rental payments, utility services bills, and non-payments to the staff and could not function due to the non-release of fee reimbursement arrears by the government since 2021.

The bandh was dissolved after intense protests, which garnered support from various groups including the BC Welfare Association and the Student Federation of India (SFI).

Thursday witnessed deliberations and discussions at various levels, concluding with the calling off of the bandh.