Govt open for out of court settlement on self financing issue: CM

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 2 (UNI) Even as the Left Democratic Front Government in Kerala and self-financing professional college managements are embroiled in legal battle in the Supreme Court, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan today said efforts would continue for an out of court settlement on the vexed issue.

Briefing newspersons after a meeting of the state Cabinet, the Chief Minister pointed out that since some of the college managements had shown interest for an out of court settlement on the issue, the government was trying to assess their stand.

Mr Achuthanandan's reaction came in the wake of the apex court posting the hearing on August seven on an appeal filed by the state government in the Supreme Court against the interim order of the Kerala High Court allowing the college managements to admit students in the merit and management quotas in the ratio of 50:50. The Government wanted more seats to be allotted in the merit quota as per the recently enacted legislation on the fee structure and admission procedures in such colleges.

Referring to the agitation launched by the pro-Marxist Students Federation of India (SFI) against the self-financing professional colleges, the Chief Minister said the agitation was untimely as it had helped only to consolidate the managements against the Self-Financing College Act.

He pointed out that the leaders of the SFI themself had disowned the violent mode of agitation against the self-financing colleges.

Asked to comment on the statement of SFI national secretary K K Ragesh against a judge of Kerala High Court, the Chief Minister said the issue had not come to his notice.

UNI CR ROY HS HS1405