RTI response reveals Telangana spent ₹800 crore out of ₹2,997.14 crore earmarked for minorities welfare in 2024-25

Low expenditure on reimbursement of tuition fee, causes concerns among students, and activists

The Telangana government has spent ₹800 crore, covering both establishment expenditure (funds for salaries and other administrative costs), and scheme expenditure (funds allocated for various schemes), out of a total budget of ₹2,997.14 crore for the financial year 2024-25.

The information was revealed in reply to a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by M. A. Akram, a Hyderabad-based activist.

According to the data, the Telangana Minorities Educational Institutions Society (TMEIS), which manages over 200 schools and junior colleges across the state, was allocated Rs. 698.46 crore for salaries, rents, and utility bills. The expenditure amounted to ₹378.42 crore, with a significant portion - Rs. 251.88 crore - spent on salaries.

In the sphere of education, the reimbursement of tuition fees (RTF) and maintenance of tuition fees (MTF) also recorded low expenditure. While ₹300 crore was allocated for RTF, only ₹4.49 crore was spent. Similarly, ₹120 crore was allocated for MTF, but the expenditure stood at just ₹2.86 crore. No funds were spent under the pre-matric scholarship scheme, a Government of India initiative aimed at school students.

A significant share of the budget was earmarked for the Shaadi Mubarak scheme, which saw an allocation of ₹650 crore. Of this, ₹215 crore was spent.

Mr Akram highlighted that establishment expenditure accounted for ₹396 crore, approximately half of the total amount spent. He also said that the Congress’ minority declaration, a document released ahead of the elections in Telangana, focussed on promises on minorities welfare, asoects of which need to be followed through.

“A key function of the Telangana State Minorities Finance Corporation is to provide loans to small businessmen. While ₹ 300 crore was allocated for this purpose, the RTI response, dated December 12, indicates that only Rs. 80,000 has been spent so far. With the financial year nearing its end, I urge the Congress government to fulfil its commitments,” he said.

The issue of low expenditure on RTF and MTF has remained a persistent concern for students for the past several years. Students and those working in colleges pointed out that the issue was seen during the Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s terms in power as well

Indicative of this issue is the case of Shaik Aslam, a final-year B.Tech student at an engineering college in Gandimaisamma. Aslam expressed his concerns over the delay in fee reimbursement.

“The funds for fee reimbursement have not been disbursed for the past three years. I am not the only one as there are several who have been struggling to have their funds released,” he said.

The Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) Telangana State President Mohammed Faraz Ahmed pointed out that delays in fee reimbursement have been an ongoing issue, with the problem worsening in recent years.

“We have been working on the fee reimbursement issue. We have been receiving several complaints about funds not being released. Certificates are being held back by colleges due to non-payment. Our data shows a significant increase in such cases,” he said.

Published - December 13, 2024 08:22 am IST