Why KCR gave up FAST and made a U-turn?

What is the secret behind the sudden decision of the Telangana government to drop its ambitious scheme of FAST (Financial assistance to Students of Telangana?)

Sources say that KCR found tough going in courts and also in implementing the FAST and finally non cooperation of engineering institutions to give up his threat of 1956 as cut off date and non-local status to AP students.

Telanagna Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao's announcement late last night came as a shock to all Telanganites who hoped to make hay at the cost of Andhra students. But the CM after several censures from high court finally conceded as his adamant stand was clear violation of Article 371-D. In effect, it means students, who have been studying in Telangana for seven years, will be eligible for fee reimbursement.

Records show that nearly 14 lakh SC/ST/BC/EBC/Handicapped and minorities students were engaged in higher studies and enjoy fee reimbursement benefit. The dues of 2013-14 in this regard of Rs. 625 crore of a total amount of Rs.1587 crore is still pending and the students and parents were pressurized by college managements to cough up the amount and that it would be reimbursed to them in the event government released the sum. Only yesterday, the CM announced clearance of all dues for the last two years up to Rs. 862 crore .

As per the social welfare department, only 39,000 Andhra students were studying in Telangana colleges while 18,000 Telangana students were in Andhra colleges. By rejecting the claims of 147 engineering colleges affecting about 21,000 students, the Telangana government had doomed the future of 14 lakh students by delaying the fee reimbursements and announcement of FAST.

Now that the High Court rejected the cut off date of Nov 1956 set by the Telangana government and sent three reminders to file counters as TS government had failed to do so. The CM had no choice but to take a U-turn and dropped the scheme and thus the cut off date also becomes a thing of past. The road is clear for payment of fee reimbursements to all students to colleges as students have been denied certificates of last 2 years for lack of payment of tuition fees.

During the academic year 2014, after the EAMCET, 10 colleges were left without admissions in the first phase after 147 colleges were disqualified for admissions . In the final count almost 200 colleges had shown low key interest in running the courses after the threat of FAST by the Telangana government. "More than one lakh seats fell vacant as almost 62,000 students failed to turn up for interviews and over 30,000 went to other states," said an engineering college manager in Ranga Reddy district.

This year, one has to see how many colleges will operate, how many students will be exchanged between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and what will be the fate of engineering education in both the Telugu states .

Thehansindia