Hyderabad: The Federation of Higher Education Institutions (FATHI) has issued an ultimatum to the Telangana state government, demanding immediate clearance of Rs 1,000 crore in pending dues to private colleges. At an emergency meeting held in Hyderabad on Wednesday, FATHI Executive Council members expressed deep concern over delayed scholarship reimbursements and warned of a statewide academic shutdown starting October 13 if their demands are not met.

FATHI leaders Nimmatoori Ramesh Babu, KS Ravi Kumar, Dr K. Ramadas, Kodali Krishna Rao, Suneel Kumar, Jaipal Reddy, Nagaiah Chowdary, Aljapur Srinivas, and Suryanarayana Reddy jointly stated that out of the Rs 600 crore due by Dasara, only Rs 200 crore had been released on Wednesday. An additional Rs 600 crore is expected before Deepavali, bringing the total dues to Rs 1,000 crore. They demanded full payment by October 12; failing to do so, classes across 2,500 affiliated colleges would be suspended.

The executive council announced a week-long protest and satyagraha from October 13 to 18, to be held across districts with participation from students and parents. “This is not just a financial issue—it’s about the survival of higher education institutions and the future of lakhs of students,” said Ramesh Babu.

FATHI members emphasized that since Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy also heads the education department, all future discussions must be routed through his office.

They extended an invitation to the Chief Minister to attend a one-day statewide meeting during the protest week to directly engage with stakeholders.

Another major concern raised was the cancellation of scholarship reimbursement tokens for the academic years 2021–22 and 2022–23. While the government claims to have released 50% of dues for 2023–24, FATHI demanded immediate regeneration of the cancelled tokens to ensure continuity of financial support to institutions.

The FATHI projected that by the end of the 2025–26 academic year (March 2026), the state government would owe nearly Rs 10,000 crore to higher education institutions. They urged the state finance ministry to formulate a dedicated roadmap for the timely disbursement of scholarships and fee reimbursements.

“We are not against the government. We are fighting for the sustainability of education and the welfare of students. If the dues are not cleared, we will have no choice but to escalate our protest,” they pointed out.

The emergency meeting concluded with a unanimous resolution to intensify pressure on the government through peaceful means, while keeping the doors open for dialogue. FATHI leaders reiterated their commitment to safeguarding the interests of students, faculty, and institutions, and called upon the government to act swiftly to avoid disruption in the academic calendar.