Deposit Rs 10 lakh as Earnest Money with us: Punjab Govt Tells Medical Colleges

Punjab: In an attempt to better infrastructure, the Punjab Government issued a directive on April 4 asking principals of private medical, dental, homeopathic, physiotherapy, ayurvedic colleges, and nursing colleges and schools to deposit ‘Earnest Money’ running into a few lakhs, within a period of 15 days. The move has led to a lot of resentment among the institute management.

The reason given for its issuance by the government has been cited as its 1998 guideline that has not been implemented for the past two decades,’ says the HT which has a copy of the DMRE order.

Private medical colleges have been asked for a deposit of Rs 10 lakh-Rs 8 lakh has been asked from private dental colleges, private ayurvedic institutes have to pay Rs 6 lakh, while Rs 4 lakh is the sum nominated for private homeopathic institutes. The order also directs for a sum of Rs 1 lakh from private nursing colleges and schools, institutions running medical diploma, lab technology, radiography diploma, BSc (medical technology) and BSc in radiography and physiotherapy courses.

A DMRE official conceded to have made an error by not implementing the clause of earnest money in the past 20 years.

“We have sent the DMRE order to the finance department and are looking into our legal options. We are fulfilling the terms and conditions of the Medical Council of India. Where is the need to burden us?” questioned a private medical college’s senior functionary while speaking to Hindustan Times.

While another dental college official told the daily, “From where will we arrange such a hefty amount of Rs 8 lakh. This, even as we are fulfilling all the terms and conditions of the State and the Indian Dental Association. The majority of our seats remained vacant this year.”

Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar said, “This is an attempt to secure the future of medical students as closure of private colleges had left them in the lurch in the recent past. We will create better infrastructure.”