All expectations on Tuesday of a breakthrough in talks between the government and managements of private self-financing medical colleges on reducing fee for the MBBS course came a cropper with representatives of the Kerala Private Medical College Management Association denying that such talks ever took place.
What with association representatives scheduled to meet Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan early on Tuesday morning, there was intense speculation in a section of the media that some sort of a formula for reducing fee in a portion of the government seats was in the offing.
The early-morning meeting with Mr. Vijayan did not, however, take place.
Later in the day, association representatives had discussions with the Chief Minister and Health Minister K.K. Shylaja.
Association president P. Krishnadas told The Hindu that issue of reducing fee for government seats or providing additional scholarships for students from low-income families never figured in the talks. “We did not speak about fee reduction at all. The association raised some other issues with the government. The Chief Minister responded that the government would look into those issues and come up with an answer. Neither did the government ask us about fee reduction nor did we volunteer for the same,” he said.
An association member, however, told The Hindu that the Chief Minister did ask once whether anyone was interested in reducing the fee or in providing more scholarships.
Against any adjustments “Nobody replied in the affirmative. Earlier, at the general body meeting of the association too everyone was vehemently against any adjustment in the fee at this point. The general feeling was that now that an agreement has been signed and admissions made on the basis of an announced fee the association need not become a party to what is essentially a political tussle,” he said.
It was also pointed out at the general body meeting that any change in the announced fee now, was liable to be challenged in court.