YSRCP challenges Lokesh to prove Rs 5,000 crore fee payment claim

Tadepalli, Nov 14: YSRCP spokesperson G. Veera Shekhar Reddy challenged 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 Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s family.

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.