Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

Ramadoss hurls a volley of questions to self-financing colleges

Special Correspondent

PMK leaders, former Union Ministers take part in demonstration

LEADING THE PROTEST: Pattali Makkal Katchi founder S. Ramadoss at a demonstration against self-financing colleges in Chennai on Friday. — Photo: S. Thanthoni

CHENNAI: Are self-financing colleges providing higher education as a service, as cited in judicial pronouncements asked the Pattali Makkal Katchi founder, S. Ramadoss, at a demonstration here on Friday.

He did not stop there. He asked almost a dozen questions. "How much is the financial contribution of managements of the colleges for establishing the institutions? Are the colleges paying the motor vehicle tax or getting the tax concession for the bus services operated by them, when the students are forced to use the college transport facility? Are they availing of or entitled to any concession in power supply when they run the colleges as commercial ventures? Whether they are paying income tax regularly?" Dr Ramadoss asked.

The PMK leader also demanded that the State Government furnish information whether it had taken action against any self-financing colleges under the Tamil Nadu Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Collection of Capitation Fee) Act, 1992.

Leading a demonstration in front of the Memorial Hall at Park Town here, Dr. Ramadoss recalled that a warning was also issued a few years ago under the Act, calling upon the public not to pay capitation fee and to bring to the notice of the authorities of any instances of the fee payment.

Members of the PMK wanted the Government to take over the colleges that had not implemented its orders. "Is there a single college that has not collected capitation fee?" and "Government: Don't deny higher education to the poor" were the messages on their placards.

The PMK president, G. K. Mani and the former Union Ministers, E. Ponnusamy and A.K. Moorthy were among those who took part in the agitation.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Parties move into top gear for Assembly poll
Chathurthi may be a low-key affair
Return to organic food forms, says Chunkath
Transport chaos `due to lack of planning'
Third-party sale of power allowed in State
Laila, the `accidental' actress
From sex workers to beauticians
Four centres of excellence to be set up
Rajnikanth joins hands with Shanker
Ramadoss hurls a volley of questions to self-financing colleges
Virtuoso awards given
Crude prices make lubricants dearer
Any child can paint: here's how
Fire Service Act to be amended
Ration shop `short-changing residents'
New AICTE south panel chairman
Court upholds life term for man who drowned 3 children
Pet vets' role set to grow
Court declines to order CBI probe into question paper leak
Best of INPUT Festival at ACJ
Medical camp for special children
A chance to drape yourself in ethnic wear
An epic's weavers are honoured
Asin goes online
Youth's misbehaviour proves fatal for him
Rajiv Gandhi's birth anniversary observed in State
World record sari weavers honoured
Two killed in lorry capsize
Prince of Arcot to take part in Zakat conference
SFI burns copy of court judgment
Stand autos fleecing public, says user group
Around the City
Briefly
In Chennai Today
The trade in animal trophies

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu