Deputy CM orders release of Rs 92 crore to clear pending dues of Gurukul, KGBV and BASS schools

Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has directed officials to immediately clear all pending dues related to Gurukul schools, KGBV (Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas) schools and Best Available Schools Scheme (BASS).

He instructed officials to take immediate action to release approximately Rs 92 crores to ensure that students do not face any inconvenience.

Immediate clearance and monitoring

The Deputy CM held a review meeting with officials of the Finance Department at Praja Bhavan on Thursday evening.

The Deputy CM reviewed the pending bills related to mess charges, rent charges, and cosmetic charges of Tribal Welfare Residential Schools, Tribal and General Gurukul Schools and KGBVs.

The Deputy CM emphasised that the menu prescribed by the government must be strictly followed. He directed officials to regularly visit government Gurukul schools, welfare hostels and KGBVs as per a fixed schedule to monitor whether the prescribed menu is being implemented, as well as to assess the quality of food, accommodation, and teaching.

The process of immediate clearance has begun and Bhatti said that no student must face hardships.

Bhatti said, “Unlike the BRS, the Congress government is systematically clearing both old and current dues without delay. With the release of the pending bills along with the revised charges, students will now benefit directly.”

Background of the pending dues

The accumulated pending dues—related to essential services like mess charges, rent charges and cosmetic charges—had been a significant issue, particularly under the previous administration of BRS, causing severe financial strain on the institutions and their suppliers.

Financial Distress: Reports indicated that payments to suppliers for daily necessities and food in Gurukul schools were pending for several months, severely impacting the quality of meals provided to students and forcing suppliers to take out loans to continue operations.

Infrastructure and Operations: Non-payment of building rents for many Gurukul schools had allegedly led to the threat of closures and lockouts, jeopardising the education of thousands of students from marginalised communities.

Best Available Schools Scheme (BASS): Private schools participating in the BASS scheme, which provides corporate-level education to SC/ST students, have been struggling due to the non-release of scholarship/reimbursement dues, with some managements even turning away students in the past due to financial unsustainability. The total pending scholarship dues for BASS alone were reportedly a large sum.