58%:42% – Chandrababu Proposes, KCR Disposes

Telangana Chief Minister KCR has rejected the attempt of his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu to make Telangana share the burden of the fee reimbursement scheme.

Reacting to Naidu’s offer that Andhra Pradesh would bear 58 per cent of the scheme if Telangana paid 42 per cent of the fees, KCR said that it was not possible. He said that the Telangana government will follow the guidelines of the Supreme Court on this issue. The Telangana CM said he is willing to pay 5000 more for each student from his state but not a rupee for students from other states.

“We are not willing to pay the fee of non-local students. If we pay the fee of Andhra Pradesh students, then other states will also make the same demand for the students studying in Telangana,” KCR said.  KCR said that only eligible students will have their fees reimbursed and he asked officials to be cautious about issuing nativity, caste and income certificates.

He said that not a single genuine Telangana student will be made to suffer over this issue.

Earlier, Naidu told the media in Hyderabad that students were suffering because of Telangana government’s move to replace the fee reimbursement scheme with Financial Assistance for Students of Telangana or Fast.

Referring to the division of liabilities between the two states, Naidu said the Telangana government can pay 42 per cent of the fees of Andhra students studying in Telangana and the Andhra government will pay the remainder.

Naidu pleaded with KCR not to treat Andhra Pradesh as an enemy state and not to drag the issue any further. “I want both the states to prosper,” he said.

Meanwhile minister Harish Rao said Naidu’s attempts are political arm twisting while IT minister KTR said TRS government is clear on paying 100 per cent fee of its students and Andhra Pradesh should pay the fee of its students.