HYDERABAD: In an attempt to arm-twist the state government into releasing fee reimbursement arrears, engineering and other professional colleges on Sunday announced that, starting next year, they would be forced to ask students to pay up the fee in case of any delays in the release of official funds.

Colleges said that they will ask students from the fresh batch as well as the current batches to pay their own fees from the coming academic year, 2012-13, if the government fails to release the first installment of funds by July 2012.

The decision was taken on Sunday at the general body meeting of the Consortium of Engineering and Professional College Managements' Association. As per a Supreme Court order, the government is supposed to pay up the fees in four installments - in July, October, January and March.

The association claimed that despite a Supreme Court order asking the state government to clear fee arrears, the government is yet to release Rs 2,000 crore under the scheme this year. Speaking at a media conference, Ramesh Nimmatoori, president of the consortium representing over 300 engineering and professional colleges, said that the government should follow apex court instructions and make the outstanding payment on time.

"If the government delays release of funds, we will have to trouble the students. It is the responsibility of the government to see to it that students face no harassment over fees," Nimmatoori said. Interestingly, since colleges have decided to increase their fees from the coming academic year, the state government will have to pay an extra Rs 1,500 crore over the original estimate of Rs 4,500.

A recent SC judgment states that any college which implements the Sixth Pay Commission's scale for teaching staff would be allowed to hike its fees. "About 400 engineering colleges out of a total 721 are ready to match the Sixth Pay Commission scale. That entitles them to increase their fees," said Nimmatoori.

The colleges have also asked the government, which is reeling under the fee reimbursement burden, to do away with the management quota altogether. College managements have urged the government to follow All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) rules for admissions in the new academic year.

Source : TOI