Hyderabad, 23 Sept 2023 — In a significant development, the relentless efforts of various school building owners, AIITA & the SIO Hyderabad, have borne fruit as the Telangana State Government has sanctioned ₹3.49 crores out of the ₹4.7 crores required to resolve the pending rental arrears of 105 Government Primary Schools operating in rented buildings across Hyderabad. This pending rental arrears issue, which has persisted for approximately three years, has garnered attention from various concerned parties such as AIMIM, including several advocacy and representation efforts.

This pressing issue dates back to the financial years 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022, when the State Government failed to allocate the necessary funds for timely rental payments. The cumulative arrears had reached a staggering 20 months’ worth as of March 2023, posing significant challenges for the school building owners and the educational infrastructure.

SIO Hyd took a proactive approach by raising this critical matter on March 9, 2023, and subsequently meeting with the Honorable Finance Minister of Telangana State. The Students Islamic Organization (SIO) highlighted the financial hardship faced by building owners and the irregularities in rental arrear payments over the past three years.

As a result of SIO Hyd’s efforts, an initial amount of Rs 45,03,359/- was released by the Government, although it proved insufficient to address the accumulated arrears. Additionally, claims made by the owners for pending rents were rejected.

On July 29, 2023, SIO Hyd engaged in further discussions with Honorable Finance Minister Mr. Harish Rao to present their representations, which included the demand of clearing all pending rental arrears, amounting to 4,70,87,384/-, at the earliest. Subsequent to this interaction, Mr. Harish Rao forwarded the matter to the Special Chief Secretary of Finance, Telangana State, with a directive to promptly address and resolve the issue.

Taking another stride toward resolving the matter, on August 1, 2023, SIO Hyd, accompanied by three school building owners, personally visited the Finance Department at the Telangana Secretariat. They submitted hardcopies of their representations, attested by Mr. Harish Rao himself.

SIO Hyd appreciates the Telangana State Government for taking this positive step towards resolving the issue of pending rental arrears for Government Primary Schools in Hyderabad. The organization believes that this development will bring much-needed relief to the affected building owners and help to ensure the proper functioning and maintenance of these vital educational institutions.

While we welcome the decision of rental arrears sanction, another major issue concerning the educational welfare of students, particularly minority students, remains unresolved. We call upon the authorities for the immediate allocation of scholarships meant to support the educational aspirations of these deserving individuals. It is crucial to ensure that these students have access to the financial resources they require to pursue their studies effectively.