Telangana Minister KTR meets US official over students visa issue

Hyderabad: Telangana Minister K T Rama Rao today met US Consulate General Michael Mullins here and discussed the issue of Telugu students facing problems with regard to their admission in American educational institutes.

Rao, who holds IT and Panchayat Raj portfolios, met the Consulate General as per the directive of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, according an official release here.

The meeting came in the wake of several students, seeking admission in American universities, from Hyderabad having been sent back from the US though they had valid visas.

The Minister was told that the problem arose not just with students from Hyderabad but from different cities across the country, the release said.

The Consulate officials assured the Minister that efforts are being made to rectify the problem.

Mullins informed Rama Rao that problems are cropping up in view of reported defects in documents submitted for obtaining visa, it said.

He said the US India Education Fair would be expanded to see that the students do not fall prey to private agents, the release said.

The Minister told the Consulate General that it is not correct to send back the students who have secured valid visas after spending time and money.

Rama Rao said he would write a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on the issue, the release added.