Puducherry: Minister threatens pvt medical colleges of Stern Action on PG admission issue

PUDUCHERRY: Health minister Malladi Krishna Rao on Wednesday warned private medical colleges in the Union territory of 'stern action' if they didn't admit students selected by Centralised Admission Committee (Centac) to PG courses under government quota owing to the fee issue.

He was replying to questions raised by ruling and opposition blocks in the legislative assembly on the "predicament of students in the wake of the private colleges in Puducherry declining to admit them for the 2017-2018 session on the ground that the interim fee fixed by the government is not acceptable to the managements."

Opposition AIADMK (Amma) legislator A Anbalagan, who raised the issue, said students were denied seats by colleges on the grounds of the fee issue. He alleged that the colleges were demanding around 40 lakh for a seat while the government had fixed an interim fee of 3 lakh.

The last date to pay the fee was round the corner and the government should take action in the matter, he said. Members belonging to the ruling Congress also said that Centac had finalised a list of 76 students for admission into various colleges under government quota in PG courses.

However, the managements were embarrassing the aspirants by insisting on payment of 35 lakh to 40 lakh, Anbalagan alleged. The members also said till the batch of students selected now were admitted, the second round of counselling by CENTAC for medical courses should not be held.

Responding to the members' concerns, Rao said the fee now fixed was only an interim arrangement and in line with the system in Tamil Nadu. The chairman of the Fees Committee for Puducherry was indisposed and hence an interim arrangement had been made on the fee pattern.

Rao said that the interests of 76 students selected through Centac under government quota in the private colleges would be protected. He said if colleges turned away the students the government would not hesitate to withdraw their no-objection certificate.

He further said he would have a meeting with the Union health minister and health secretary in New Delhi on Thursday and take up the issue with them. The House was adjourned to meet on May 24.