HP Assembly passes bill protecting interests of medical students

Shimla, Feb 23 (UNI) The Himachal Pradesh Assembly today passed the HP Unaided Private Dental Colleges (Regulation of Admission and Fixation of Fee for 2003-04) Bill that seeks to protect the interests of students admitted to private dental colleges against 50 per cent government seats.

The Bill was passed unanimously with an assurance by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh that all aspects of fee issue for meritorious students would be thoroughly looked into and appropriate action would be taken.

Mr Singh said that the fee structure committee set up on the directions of the high court had recommended annual fee ranging between Rs 63,00 and Rs 84,000 per student for all the students, which adversely affected the students of 2003-04 batch who were paying an annual fee of Rs 20,000.

Opposition leader and former chief minister PK Dhumal, while supporting the Bill, urged the government to take up the matter in the Supreme Court to protect the meritorious students in future.

He said, if steps were not taken, only rich students would have access to professional education.

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