Telangana Congress urged the state government against converting the state universities into political rehabilitation centres. Condemning the GOs (MS no 28 and 29) issued by state government, Congress chief spokesperson Dr Sravan Dasoju expressed concern over the decision to appoint separate chancellors to the state universities. He dubbed this as an attempt to make universities dens of TRS loyalists.

“The GOs open flood gates to political appointments. They facilitate appointment of anybody of its choice as the chancellor of state universities. Once implemented, the GOs would deprive the universities even of the limited autonomy now available to them,” he said.

These controversial GOs remove the role of governor lock stock and barrel and empower the government to appoint anybody as the chancellor and vice chancellor, he said. “When Assembly session is scheduled to commence on 23rd, what is the hurry to amend the act in a dubious manner on 11th September. Government should call for an all party meeting and consult students and teachers organisations before going ahead. Till then the GOs should be kept in abeyance,” Dasoju demanded.

Stating that nowhere in the country had such practice of government appointing chancellors and VCs been existed, the Congress spokesperson said, “the GOs have no clarity in terms of procedure of appointment of chancellors, and the role chancellors and vice chancellors perform,” he added.

In addition to affecting the quality of the university administration, the new system is bound to put enormous financial burden on the universities, in the form of the expenditure of running the office of chancellor, which were already facing acute fund crunch, and were in a position not able to provide decent board and lodge to the students.” The Congress party will oppose the implementation of these GOs and even raise and fight against them in ensuring Assembly session as well,” Sravan Dasoju said.