Govt school in Telangana locked over non payment of rent

Hyderabad: A government school building in Telangana’s Suryapet district was locked by the owner on Monday, November 10 over non-payment of rent.

A video shared on social media showed, teachers taking students out of the building after the owner locked the premises. The incident occurred in Tilaknagar area of Suryapet. The students were shifted to a near by high school.

Speaking to Siasat.com, Suryapet district educational officer, K Ashok, said, “The school was closed since the rent for four months was pending. The bills have been sent to the treasury department, which will clear the dues in some time. The school is now open.”

The officer did not reveal the amount of the rent.

In the past too, government schools in Telangana have been locked due to non payment of rent. A Telangana Minority Residential School in Hyderabad’s Baglingampaly was shut down in June 2025 due to 13-month unpaid rent.

The gate was later opened following assurances from Telangana Government Minorities Residential Educational Institutions Society (TGMREIS) officials that the dues would be cleared soon.

Opposition urges govt to clear bills

In June this year, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) urged the Congress government to clear pending dues of the government schools in Telangana. Former Telangana finance minister T Harish Rao alleged that non-payment of bills has halted the essential supplies, including food and uniforms in gurukuls across the state. The Siddipet MLA claimed that the gurukuls are in disarray because the Telangana government has not cleared the pending bills since January 2025.

In a statement, Rao further said that the gurukuls aren’t receiving eggs, meat, and bananas due to non-payment of bills. “The contractors have already warned that from July 1, all food supplies will be suspended unless dues are cleared,” he added.

The former Telangana health minister alleged that the education and health of students from SC, ST, BC and minority students are under threat due to the Congress government’s apathy. He went on to say that more than Rs 450 crore in rent dues remain unpaid for last 13 months. In some cases, building owners are locking the schools.

“Even after months into the academic year, students are yet to receive uniforms, shoes, or school bags, forcing them to wear torn or repaired uniforms,” Rao remarked. The former Telangana finance minister termed the situation as a gross failure of the Congress government.