Southern States - Kerala   

Pushpagiri college blames Govt.

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Feb. 10. The management of the Pushpagiri Medical College, Thiruvalla, has attributed the failure of today's talks on the fee structure in self- financing medical colleges to the `adamant attitude' of the State Government.

At a press conference here today, Abraham Kakkanatt, the secretary of the Pushpagiri Medical Society, alleged that the talks between the representatives of the college and the higher education officials turned out to be a farce as the latter only had to reiterate their earlier decisions which were unilateral in nature. It was simply a futile exercise, he added.

Describing as `cheap', the State Chief Minister's comment that the managements of self- financing professional colleges did not live up to the faith the Government had reposed on them, he maintained that there was no such thing as an understanding between the two parties. Had there been any such understanding there should have been some document to substantiate that, Fr. Kakkanatt averred.

Alleging complacency on the part of the State Government with regard to drawing up of the fee structure in self- financing professional colleges, he said that the Pushpagiri management had undertaken a detailed study on the issue and presented its report to the Government as well as before the High Court. There was no follow- up action forthcoming from the Government for months, he said.

The management of the college had expressed its willingness to make some sacrifices on the question of allocation of seats. As per a directive of the Supreme Court, the management had the right to retain control of hundred per cent seats in the college. However, it was prepared to leave a share to the Government to make the admissions. Furthermore, he informed, 25 per cent of the seats were still left vacant for the Government to fill up from the merit list.

The management had decided to provide scholarships to 15 students from the Government quota, by which it would stand to lose a sum of Rs. 1.41 crores a year. It had also chalked out a scheme by which fee concession would be extended to 10 students, including five selected from the Government quota, belonging to the weaker sections, Fr. Abraham said.

The reports that the management had agreed to surrender 50 per cent seats to the Government was utterly baseless, he said adding that there was no such agreement. What the Government had issued was not a no- objection certificate to set up the college, but only an essentiality certificate, he said in reply to a question.

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