The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : PMK to protest against collection of ‘exorbitant fees’ by colleges

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Friday, Jun 29, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

PMK to protest against collection of ‘exorbitant fees’ by colleges

Party to stage demonstration on Fort St. George premises

“Despite the enactment of a law way back in 1992, no action has been taken against even a single institution till now”

MADURAI: The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) will stage a demonstration on Fort St. George premises in Chennai urging the State Government to prevent self-financing professional colleges from collecting exorbitant fees, over and above the prescribed amount, from students admitted under Government quota, its founder, S. Ramadoss, said here on Thursday.

PMK MPs and MLAs, led by Dr. Ramadoss, will stage the demonstration “with the Chief Minister’s permission.”

Speaking to reporters, Dr. Ramadoss said though the annual fees prescribed by the Government for the MBBS course was Rs. 1.30 lakh, a college in Kanyakumari was collecting over Rs. 4.50 lakh. Similarly, as against the Rs. 32,000 annual fee for engineering courses, colleges were collecting up to Rs. 1.5 lakh.

“Compulsory capitation fee and collection of exorbitant fee are continuing despite the enactment of law to prohibit them.”

The Tamil Nadu Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Collection of Capitation Fee) Act, 1992 and a subsequent Government Order had banned collection of capitation fee.

“Despite the enactment of a law way back in 1992, no action has been taken against even a single institution till now,” he said.

Dr. Ramadoss wondered whether the Higher Education Department had done anything on this aspect at all. “Higher education continues to be a distant dream for the poor.”

Pointing to G.K. Ashwin Kumar, who had passed Plus Two in 2004, securing the 7th place in the MBBS rank list, Dr. Ramadoss attributed it to the abolition of the common entrance test (CET). “Because of CET, he could not get admission in the last two years.”

“Reintroduce quota”

He urged the State Government to re-introduce the 15 per cent reservation in professional courses for students from rural background with appropriate law.

Alleging that a strong police-criminal-politician nexus had led to the deterioration of law and order situation, he suggested posting of “honest police officials” and allowing them to act “independently without any political interference.” This, he averred, would bring about a change in three years. He sought enactment of a separate legislation on the lines of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999, to contain criminals.

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