Puducherry : Govt quota of MBBS seats fixed at 283

Puducherry administration will get 283 seats as its quota of MBBS seats from the private medical colleges here this year.This is ten seats more compared to the 273 last year, Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao told a press conference here tonight. Mr Rao said the issue was settled at the fourth round of talks between the government and medical college representatives. Previously, the seats allotted were 263 and 264 and it was 273 in 2015-16. He said the issue of allotment of PG seats were also discussed. However, this year the PG classes were already started and the colleges agreed to consider from next year, he added. To a question,the minister said the demand was 50 per cent seats.But no deemed university is giving any seats to the government anywhere in the country and it was in Puducherry only that seats were being allotted for the government.Of the seven private medical colleges here, four are deemed universities,he added.The Lt Governor and health minister had expressed satisfaction on getting 283 seats, Mr Rao said, adding that the 273 last year was out of 1050 seats and this year it is out of 1000 seats since 50 seats were reduced at Puducherry Institute of Medical Sciences here.

He also said that the fishermen of the four regions were sanctioned grants for the ban on fishing period besides old age pension for April and May.The money will be transferred to their accounts on Monday and Tuesday and the exchequer will incur an expenses of Rs 13.2 crore, he said. He said while the ban period in Puducherry and Karaikal regions was for 47 days, it was for 61 days in Yanam region and hence Puducherry and Karaikal fishermen will get Rs 4,000 and those in Yanam will get Rs.5500.The dredging work of the estuary here would commence before August,he said adding that the tender process is on.