Dr. Avnish Jolly,Chandigarh June 27, 2008:Ten member deputation of medical and dental college parents association (Batch 2007) met the chief minister at Punjab civil secretariat here on Thursday. Soon after the meeting the Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has constituted a three member panel to review the fee structure of private medical and dental colleges in Punjab.
During the meeting Badal has admitted that fee structure which was increased last year was unreasonable to the students of Punjab, said parents.
During the meeting Badal has expressed his worry about the future of medical students. Badal has in view that fees enhanced in private medical colleges last year were very unreasonable. He however also expressed his anguish that due to fee hike many deserving candidates have forgone their seats even after securing high rank in PMET.
Badal has directed chief secretary of Punjab Ramesh Inder Singh to have three member panel. Besides chief secretary, Dr. J.S. Bajaj, deputy chairman of planning board, Jagjit Puri, secretary medical education will be the members of the committee. Badal has told to submit report within a week.
Parents said in press release that a ten member deputation have explained to the chief minister that when Punjab government has allowed the private colleges to fill NRI vacant seats at NRI fee from open, then increasing fee in private colleges have been giving double benefit to them.
The fee hike it astonishes clear that the left over seats of NRI quota are allowed to be filled by the managements of the institutions that is too on the rate being the charged from NRIs. That mean they may sell the seat at NRI rate to any persons the position is the worst then category IV of NRI quota.
Many students have forgone their seats but some have got admission in anticipation that government may review it. The students who have got admissions in MBBS in 2007 were severely hit. They have applied for PMT according to the prospectus i.e. fee for both government and management quota was fixed at 1.00 lac. Though it was provisional and parents expected increased not more than 15 to 20 percent.
Students, who have got admission in management quota, paid 3.00 lacs for it. Someone has taken loan from banks and someone has sold their jewellery and household goods. Now they have been under stress to deposit fee for second Prof. the arrangement of another 3.00 lacs has been biting them. It will continue for another four years.
The parents apprised the chief minister that many parents have under pressure to sell their houses to continue the studies of their child.