Substantial Fee Hike at Tripura Medical College, CM offers support to students

Agartala: Supplementing Health Minister Sudip Roy Barman today in the assembly, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb reiterated that the state government would not allow Tripura domicile National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) qualified candidate to be opted out from admission due to financial crisis in Tripura Medical College ( TMC).

Irritated Deb however, advised opposition CPI (M) not to resort agitation to press for their demand rather he preferred constructive suggestions and demands directly to the government. He stated that in past 25 yrs people of Tripura have seen agitations and demonstrations for simple reasons, even then the state government did not respond properly.

"The BJP-IPFT government is highly sensitive and responsive to the public cause a simple letter to any of the minister or call would work if the grievances or demands are genuine. We are fed up with the culture of agitation and rally causing public inconvenience," Deb pointed out.

Responding to the calling attention of opposition member Sudhan Das regarding fee hike in various medical courses in TMC, health minister Roy Barman apprised the house that as per the direction of the Supreme Court all the private medical colleges had to constituted committee for review the fee structure under the supervision of a retired high court judge and in case of TMC it was not different.

As per the recommendation of fee enhancement committee, the management of TMC has hiked from Rs 5.13 lakh to Rs. 9.22 lakh annually for undergraduate medical course and similar fee hikes for postgraduate course. As a result, for completion of MBBS course in TMC a student has to pay Rs 36.88 lakh instead of existing fee of Rs 20.52 lakh, Roy Barman said.

He further stated that TMC was made a society run medical college by the previous left front government despite repeated demands for taking over the college. Subsequently, in the high court the previous government made it clear that it is run by private management and accordingly, the apex court order of fee enhancement was came into force.

However, after coming it to the notice of the state government, the society has been requested to make some provision to support the students belong to economically backward section. They accordingly, made notification for concession of fees for the economically backward students with citing some determining criteria.

"Even after that me and chief minister had a long discussion apprehending that paying the revised fees by the upper middle-class families will also not be possible. But we agreed to the decision that no NEET qualified student of Tripura domicile beyond the prescribed economically backward seeking admission in TMC would be allowed to opt out from the admission. If require the state government will compensate the TMC management for those students," Roy Barman added.

Meantime, CPI (M) MLA Das referred that the student organisations of different political parties have already started movement against the fee hike and demanded the government should tell the society not the hike the fees, which made Chief Minister angry.

"I am making it clear here no agitation will yield any fruit any more. Please leave the old tactics of politics and join hand for development centric politics. Movement and agitation are considered as reflection of negative thought, which my government doesn't entertain. If you need anything for better development please come up with open mind door is open," Chief Minister told the opposition.

Counselling for admission in 100 intake capacity TMC will start from June 25 next.