GULBARGA: The Congress has taken serious exception to the way in which the agreement between the State Government and managements of private professional colleges on seat sharing and fee structure was arrived at. The party has accused the Government of keeping the legislature, which is in session, in the dark and making a unilateral announcement.

In separate statements on Friday, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly N. Dharam Singh and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president M. Mallikarjun Kharge said Medical Education Minister V.S. Acharya had committed a grave impropriety in making the announcement to the press when the legislature was in session.

Mr. Singh criticised the Government for not consulting the Opposition parties on such an important matter and termed the agreement a total sell-out to private college managements.

The reduction in the government quota seats from 50 per cent to 40 per cent would deprive many meritorious students of seats in medical and dental colleges.

He said that allowing a five per cent preferential quota for managements and 15 per cent of available seats to non-resident Indian students would lead to further commercialisation of the medical and dental courses. The fee for management quota seats had been increased from Rs. 2.90 lakh to Rs. 3.25 lakh. This would be a burden on students.

Moreover, no limit had been fixed on the fee to be collected from students admitted under the 15 per cent NRI quota and five per cent discretionary quota.

Mr. Singh said the Congress would raise these points in the Assembly and seek clarifications from the Government and would also consider moving a privilege motion against Higher Education Minister D.H. Shankaramurthy and Dr. Acharya for making the announcement outside the House when the legislature was in session.

Mr. Kharge told The Hindu that the Government should have taken the Opposition into confidence. The agreement should have been announced in the Assembly.

The Government should have insisted on a 50:50 seat sharing formula with the private managements, Mr. Kharge said.

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