Uproar in Ker Assembly over self-financing medical allotment

The ruling and opposition members Tuesday locked horns in the Kerala Assembly over the admission procedures and fixation of fee structure for the medical, dental and allied courses in self-financing colleges in the state.

The opposition Congress-led UDF members rapped the left government alleging delay in fixing the fees in the private medical and dental colleges even weeks after the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test results had been published.

As the first phase of allotment to the courses was about to be concluded by July 7, the CPI(M)-led LDF government was acting "hand-in-glove" with the private college managements to hike the course fee, they alleged.

 

Before staging a walkout, the UDF members also alleged that the lapses by the government had marred the medical education sector in the state and caused anxiety among hundreds of medical aspirant students and their parents.

Countering the allegations, state Health minister K K Shailaja said there was no confusion over the fees in the self-financing medical and dental colleges and the admission would be completed on a time-bound manner.

"The government has conducted the medical allotment procedures in a transparent manner in the last three years.

This year also, we will complete it in a time-bound manner as per the guidelines prescribed by the Supreme Court in this regard," she said.

Rejecting the opposition allegation that the government had secret pact with the private managements to hike the course fee, the minister said the government would accept the fee fixed by the fee regulatory committee.

UDF members tried to disrupt the minister's reply throughout pointing out the alleged lapses, triggering heated exchanges with ruling legislators.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said students and parents still do not know how much amount they would have to remit as fees.

Many self-financing college managements were demanding Rs 12-18 lakh as annual fee, he alleged.

Based on the minister's reply, Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan denied approval for the notice for adjournment motion by Congress's Sivakumar over the issue, following which the opposition staged a walkout in protest.