GMC Kannur MBBS Fee Row: Court directs Medicos to submit Representation to State
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala High Court has directed the students, who challenged the MBBS fee structure of the Government Medical College Kannur; to submit a representation to the state claiming concession in the fees.
The direction came in response to a petition filed by MBBS students who alleged that the medical college was not charging as per the fee structure directed by the state government for all its medical colleges.
Medical Dialogues had extensively reported about Pariyaram Medical College, now called Government Medical College Kannur ( GMC Kannur)
Established in March 1993 by CMP leader M.V. Raghavan the college was developed on land gifted by industrialist Samuel Aaron for establishing a T B sanatorium in the government sector. The hospital has 1,000 beds and 18 operation theatres.
The college had taken a loan of Rs 46.5 crore from Hudco in 1997. However, the amount increased as the result of accumulated principal and interest, due to default in payments.
Initially, Hudco had asked for Rs 700 crore through court, till an agreement was reached with the government, with the company asking for Rs. 50 crore as the initial instalment payment and the remaining fixed sum of Rs 262 crore to be paid as instalment within 2 years.
With its troubles mounting, the state government in 2017 began to take charge of Pariyaram Medical College
The process, which took a long time and encountered many hurdles has finally come to a conclusion earlier this year, with the government passing a Government Order towards the takeover
With this, the Pariyaram Medical College became known as Kannur Government Medical College. With the government takeover it was announced that, the fees will be charged as per the Government fees structure and more merit seats would be ensured for the students. The students can study in all seats in the college by paying government fee. Earlier, 50 per cent seats were in management quota at a higher fee.
Now, the medical college being taken over by the Government and vested with it; has drawn yet another conflict related to Fees.
In a petition filed earlier this month, the MBBS students, who had got admission under the merit quota, challenged the fee structure at Government Medical College Kannur.
They stated that they need to pay the fee only as per the fee structure payable by such students in the Government colleges. They submitted a representation to the Principal, but, so far, no action had been taken in the matter. Hence, they moved the court and sought declaration that being a state run medical college, the institute is entitled to collect tuition fee from the petitioners only at the rate fixed for similar institutions run by the Government in the state.
In addition, they urged the HC bench to issue directions compelling the medical college to collect tuition fee from them from the academic year 2019-20 till the courses are complete on a par with the tuition fee fixed for other Government Medical Colleges.
It was pointed out that no provision had been made in the Ordinance relating to the fee that is payable by the students who are already admitted.
The bench noted that it was for the Government to consider whether any fee concession is to be extended to the students who had already been admitted under the merit quota. Therefore, it was only appropriate that the Government considers the matter in the proper perspective.
In the result, the court disposed off the Writ Petition and directed:
The petitioner shall submit a representation to the Government claiming concession in the fee structure and the same shall be considered by the Government within a period of one month from the date of receipt of the same.
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