30-06-2025
Nizam College hostel crisis: Nizam's kin urge CM to intervene
Hyderabad: The great-grandson of the 7th Nizam, Himayat Ali Mirza, urged the Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to intervene in resolving the Nizam College's hostel crisis. Pointing out at the recent mess closure, he urged the CM to put in place a long-term plan to 'safeguard institutions with a legacy of public service' from future crises.
In a letter addressed to CM, Himayat Ali explained how the college was forced to shut down its undergraduate and postgraduate hostel mess facilities due to a severe financial crisis. 'On June 12, food vendors stopped supplying essential groceries as they had not been paid for months. With over Rs 40–45 lakh in outstanding dues to suppliers and Rs 16.5 crore in pending reimbursement from the state government since 2019, the college administration had no option but to suspend mess services. This left hundreds of students without access to basic meals — a deeply troubling situation in any civil society,' he pointed out.
During this period, many students, especially those from middle-class families, had to spend between Rs 100 – Rs 150 daily to arrange food from outside. Several mess workers have also gone unpaid for over three months. While temporary funds have been arranged to resume the mess services, the situation remains fragile and unsustainable without swift and decisive intervention. 'Philanthropy has always been a guiding principle in my life. In keeping with this tradition, I am contributing Rs 1 lakh towards the immediate needs of the college hostel facilities. But no individual act can substitute the responsibility that lies with the state to ensure that students are never again placed in a situation where they go without food in an educational institution,' he said.
He urged Revanth Reddy to intervene immediately in clearing pending dues to Nizam College, its suppliers, and hostel staff and implement sustainable financial support to ensure uninterrupted functioning of hostel and mess services.
