Students giving up studies:Sharmila

Hyderabad, Dec 15, 2012: Castigating the Government for watering down the fee reimbursement scheme effectively implemented by Dr. YSR, Smt. Sharmila said most of the students have been giving up studies and sticking to homes as they were not confident of their fees being reimbursed by the Government.

Addressing a huge public meeting at BN Reddy Nagar during the course of her Maro Praja Prasthanam Padayatra in LB Nagar constituency of Ranga Reddy district on Friday, she lamented the Government’s apathy towards the scheme.

She recalled the suicide of engineering student Varalakshmi of Hatyatnagar some months ago due to non-reimbursement of her college fee and said the Government didn’t open its eyes even after YSR Congress President Sri Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had undertaken a week long fast at Indira Park demanding release of funds to colleges towards fee reimbursement.

“Not even a single student is confident of getting his / her college fee being reimbursed,” she said.

Smt. Sharmila earlier consoled an MBA student by   name Pranathi of Badangpet when she sobbingly informed the former that her college management has been pressurizing her for fee payment. “I am being forced to sit at home as the Government has not yet reimbursed my college fee,” Pranathi told her.

During her speech, Smt. Sharmila also recalled the refusal of Chandrababu Naidu as CM to help the acid attack victim Anuradha. “Anuradha was forced to approach High Court for financial help but Naidu even went to the SC challenging HC order to Government to pay Rs.5 lakh to her,’ she said.

Anuradha is now a research scientist thanks to the encouragement given to her by Dr. YSR who paid her Rs.70 lakh towards treatment cost and also gave her a job, Sharmila disclosed.