HC grants Guj Govt 10 days time to revive Shah Committee

Ahmedabad, May 11 (UNI) A division bench of the Gujarat High Court today granted ten days time to the state government to revive the Justice R J Shah Committee, which was earlier scrapped by the government on the grounds that a legislation had been passed by the Assembly to regulate SFIs in the state.

In an application submitted before the division bench of the High Court yesterday, the state government stated that it would revive the Justice R J Shah Committee, following which the court granted ten days time.

The court also held that no self-financed institution would charge fee more than what is approved by the Justice Shah Committee.

The court was hearing a Letters Patent Appeal (LPA), filed by Parents Association and PG students of Karmsad Medical College.

During the proceedings, the court observed that a lacuna had been created because of the government notification and if immediate actions are not taken, the court will have to pass a positive direction to the government.

Earlier, the state government had issued a notification scrapping the Shah Committee on the ground that a legislation had been passed by the Assembly to regulate SFIs in the state. However, a petition was filed in the High Court challenging the government notification on the ground that the legislation had not been implemented as an act in the state to replace the Committee.

In the petition, the Parents Association also said Karamsad Medial College had asked students to pay Rs 14.5 lakh instead of Rs 2 lakh as approved by the Committee as ad hoc fee structure. The college had held that, in the absence of the committee, it can ask the students to pay the entire fee at one go.

UNI