AP Cabinet to cap fee sop at Rs 35,000

Hyderabad: Daunted by the amount they would have to shell out if engineering colleges charge more fees, the cabinet sub-committee on fee reimbursement on Tuesday decided to pay only a maximum of Rs 35,000 towards fee sops. The decision, which is likely to kick up trouble again, was taken at a meeting of the subcommittee at the Secretariat. Social welfare minister Pithani Satyanarayana, however, said that the decision would be placed before the chief minister for approval. “The final decision would be taken by the chief minister only,” he said.

Of the 689 engineering colleges in the state, the government has issued a GO fixing Rs 35,000 as fee for 578 colleges. Economically backward students who get admission in these colleges would get full fee reimbursement. With regard to the 67 colleges for which higher fee ranging from Rs 50,200 to Rs 1.05 lakh has been fixed, the government will pay only Rs 35,000. Fee is yet to be fixed for 44 colleges which have gone to court.

Satyanarayana, speaking to reporters at the secretariat after the meeting, said that since the Task Force Committees have been mandated to inspect the premises of the 44 colleges who have approached the high court, there is a likelihood that the colleges will agree to the lower fee as they might not have the requisite infrastructure. He also said that since all the best colleges in state fall under the higher fee slab, the government is mulling whether to go for full reimbursement for those students who excel in the Intermediate and EAMCET examinations “We will take up the issue with the chief minister,” Satyanarayana said.

The AP High Court on Tuesday directed private engineering colleges to file their affidavits by Wednesday if they want to become eligible for higher fee. The affidavit should be in the form of an undertaking that the 1996 UGC pay scales or state’s eighth pay revision commission are being implemented.

The division bench comprising acting Chief Justice P C Ghose and Justice Vilas V Afzulpurkar made it clear that all the colleges are liable to furnish their affidavits before the AFRC and those who do not would be able to charge only Rs 35,000 as fee. The court also indicated that engineering colleges which have already given their consent affidavits to the AFRC agreeing to the scheme cannot go back on it now.

The Government decided on a fee reimbursement ceiling because a majority who get through EAMCET would have spent not less than Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 and are not in a situation where they cannot afford a fee more than Rs 35,000.