The Hindu : LDF to lay siege to self-financing MCs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 09, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

LDF to lay siege to self-financing MCs

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM JULY 8. The Opposition today threatened to lay siege to the private self-financing medical colleges run by the Pushpagiri and Kolenchery medical missions from Wednesday, even as the Government announced that it would postpone counselling for admission to MBBS courses in these colleges till the row over admission criteria and fee rates was settled.

The Leader of the Opposition, V.S. Achuthanandan, announced the Opposition's resolve to block the functioning of the two colleges despite the Education Minister, Nalakath Soopy, trying to pacify the Opposition and the Speaker, Vakkom Purushothaman, with the offer to defer MBBS counselling and a legislation to put the self-financing college managements under its thumb.

Mr. Soopy said the two options before the Government now were either to ask the colleges to run the courses according to the UGC guidelines under which 85 per cent seats should be in the merit quota or to go in for a legislation to ensure that the Government's will prevailed in the matter of admissions and realisation of fees.

The Education Minister, who was speaking against an adjournment motion sought to be moved by Mr. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan (CPI-M) and others, said the Government had, in any case, decided to bring forward the legislation governing admissions and fees in private self-financing professional colleges during the current session of the Assembly.

The proposal was to include appropriate provisions in the Unified Universities Act as a separate chapter. This decision could be reviewed and a separate legislation brought forward, he said.

However, the Opposition lashed out at the Minister accusing him of dilly-dallying on the issue and Mr. Balakrishnan pointed out that "if the proposed legislation was not put in place before July 11, each of the private self-financing professional colleges would be able to pocket Rs. 7.5 crores from the students. The Minister was playing hide and seek on the issue only to help the managements," he alleged.

The Speaker, Vakkom Purushothaman, also came down heavily on the Pushpagiri and Kolenchery medical college managements and said those who were not prepared to abide by the Government's directives should not be allowed to run the colleges.

Referring to the refusal of the Pushpagiri management to attend the meeting convened by the Education Minister here on Monday to thrash out the issue, he said: "Institutions that refuse to attend conferences convened by the Government should not be allowed to run colleges. You should see if there are provisions to jail them,'' he said amidst thumping of desks by the Opposition members.

The Education Minister conceded that the Pushpagiri management had not turned up at the meeting held on Monday. He said the managements that attended the conference had been told about the UGC guidelines.

While the Karakkonam medical college management had agreed to go by the Government directives, the Kolenchery college management had, in general, offered to cooperate with the Government, he said.

Walkout plan dropped

The Opposition was unsparing in its criticism of the Government, but it also showed that it could be counted upon to behave in a dignified manner when there was sufficient justification for doing so.

The Leader of the Opposition, V.S. Achuthanandan, announced the Opposition's decision not to walk out over the issue heeding the Speaker's plea to that effect.

The Speaker had earlier told him that if the Government did not keep its word to rein in the managements, he would take the initiative to have the issue discussed in the House.

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

Southern States

Stories in this Section

LDF to lay siege to self-financing MCs

NDF behind Marad massacre?

`Cabinet panel inaction led to Sivagiri episode'

Joseph seeks ban on rubber import

Sanskrit varsity teachers flay UGC move

Counselling for admission to NIT

Drama awards to be presented on July 27

Boost for marketing of agricultural produce

Students lathicharged in Kozhikode