This Article is From Aug 13, 2012

Andhra Pradesh government in a bind as students protest cap on fee reimbursement

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday held discussions with the managements of private professional colleges over the issue of reimbursement of fees.

A controversy erupted after the state government mulled the idea of putting a cap on the amount to be reimbursed towards the tuition fees of students of engineering and professional courses.

The government's proposal met with stiff resistance from all opposition parties and students' groups who are holding protests across the state demanding that professional education should not remain a distant dream for backward students.

Social Welfare Minister Pitani Satyanarayana, who heads the Cabinet sub-committee on the issue, told reporters after the talks that the matter would be reported to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today.

He said the government was in favour of paying Rs 35,000 (per student), which is the practise.

Several professional managements, who opposed the government's move to put a cap earlier, have agreed to proposals now, their representatives have said.

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