Vigilance probe into collection of capitation fee by private medical colleges

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan announced in the Assembly on Friday that the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau would examine allegations of collection of capitation fee by managements of self-financing medical colleges.

The Chief Minister was responding to notice for an adjournment motion given by V. T. Balram and others of UDF.

Mr. Vijayan said that stringent action would be taken if acceptance of capital fee is detected.

The Chief Minister also said that the government would take over the Pariyaram cooperative medical college by next year. Then the fee structure would become on par with that of government medical colleges.

He said that the government would be making allotments to remaining seats in the private medical colleges. If they took stand against the Supreme Court order in this respect, strong action would be taken.

The UDF members continued to disrupt the proceedings of the Assembly on Friday also over fee hike and collection of capitation fee by self-financing medical colleges. Five UDF members of the House continued their satyagraha and fast in the foyer of the House.

Kerala Congress (M) leader K. M. Mani led a walk out stating that his party was protesting against the fee hike and inaction of the government over the college managements collecting capitation fee.

With the UDF members shouting slogans in the well of the House, Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan rushed through the business and adjourned the House until Monday.

The UDF came up with an adjournment motion on Friday also highlighting collection of capitation fee by managements. Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala tabled a CD which he said contained audio of demands being made by college managements for capitation fee which had been broadcast by television channels.

The Opposition Leader said that college managements were making spot admissions, but this was promptly denied by Health Minister K. K. Shylaja.

The Minister said that the allotments by three colleges that had not signed agreements with the government were not transparent. The government would file complaint against them before the Supreme Court.

Mr. Chennithala said that the government had a partnership deal with the managements.

Mr. V. T. Balram (Congress) alleged that corruption amounting to Rs. 30 crore was involved in the deal

He also noted that the college managements were also reneging on agreements signed by them.

Mr. Oommen Chandy (Congress) noted that while fees charged for management quota and NRI quota charged by Pariyaram Medical College were lower by Rs. 1 lakh compared to the fee allowed for private medical colleges. However, the fee for government quota was higher than that of private colleges.