JAYASUDHA IN FEES PORU
Addressing a gathering after ending his week-long fast at Indira Park here, he said in a belligerent voice: “If we continue this government, we would be committing a mistake.” He demanded that the allocation for fee reimbursement in the state budget should be revised upwards since what has been allocated was meagre and would not come anywhere near the requirement.
He said that if the government continues to be callous to the needs of the students, it would be swept away by the rising tide of their anger.
“This movement will not stop. it will be intensified further,” Jagan said. Though he was on fast for a week, no one from the government went to him and discussed the state government’s plans of reimbursement, Jagan said. “I am not upset that no one from the government approached me. But it only shows the kind of concern they have for 25 lakh poor students,” he remarked.
The former MP said a token allocation was made in the state budget towards fee reimbursement, a scheme which late YSR launched to help students from poor families to have access to higher education. Though the government has presented a budget of `1.28 lakh crore for 2011-12 which was higher than the last year’s budget, it has allocated only `3000 crore towards fee reimbursement.
The allocations include `2500 crore under planned budget and `500 crore under non-plan as against the requirement of ` ,800 crore, including `3,400 crore towards current year’s arrears and another `3,400 crore for next academic year, he pointed out.
Earlier, Jagan called off his fast by accepting lemon juice offered by Lakshmamma, mother of engineering college student Varalakshmi who committed suicide when the government did not reimburse her tuition fee.
A huge crowd collected at the venue of the fast camp.
As many as 23 MLAs including those of the Congress, PRP and TDP and some MLCs turned up at the fast camp. Nellore MP Mekapati Rajmohan Reddy was also present, expressing solidarity with Jagan. Those who spoke included former ministers Konda Surekha, Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose, Nellore MP Mekatapati Rajamohan Reddy and former legislator Ambati Rambabu. They criticised Kiran Kumar Reddy government for not sending its representative to hold talks with Jagan.
ys jagan's fast on fees poru entered third day
ys jagan's fast on fees poru entered third day
Former Congress MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's week-long fast demanding release of funds by the Andhra Pradesh government for reimbursement of students' tuition fees entered the third day today.
Hundreds of students and other supporters visited Indira Park here where Jagan was fasting.
Konda Surekha, Balineni Srinivasa Reddy and Sivaprasad Reddy were among the Congress MLAs who met Jagan today.
MLC Jupudi Prabhakar Rao, a strong supporter of Jagan said the MLAs, loyal to Jagan, would demand in the assembly for releasing the tuition fees.
As many as 19 MLAs had called on Jagan when he began the fast on February 18.
Addressing his supporters on the day he launched the fast, Jagan hit out at the Kiran Kumar Reddy government for not clearing fees to the tune of Rs3,400 crore.
The government does not have the moral right to continue in power as it is not releasing funds for a scheme that is intended to benefit about 25 lakh students,ys jagan said.
"This government does not (even) deserve to be thrown into the Bay of Bengal as sacred rivers like Ganga merge into it,"ys jagan said.
The dues in tuition fees reimbursement are to the tune of Rs3,500 crore. Professional colleges had threatened to shut down following failure of talks with the government. The government said it would release Rs1,000 crore but the colleges insisted on releasing at least 50% of the dues.
Meanwhile, state Congress spokesman N Tulasi Reddy said that the funds required to be released by the government for tuition fees reimbursement was only Rs297 crore in 2003-04 which rose to over Rs3,000 crore for 2010-11.
Jagan has undertaken the fast not with any concern for students but for power, Tulasi Reddy alleged.
