HC declines Govt plea to stay order in SFCs

Kochi, Aug 6 (UNI) The Kerala High Court today declined the State Government plea to stay a single judge's interim order which put on hold the ''merit-cum-means'' criteria agreed by the Government and five self-financing medical colleges to reserve merit quota seats.

A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice H L Dattu and Justice K T Sankaran, while declining the State Government appeal against Justice S Sirijagan's order of July 26, issued notice to the respondents.

Five colleges had signed a seat-sharing agreement with the Government for filling the merit quota seats on merit-cum-means basis.

The single judge had also stayed until further orders the collection of annual fee by these five colleges in the management seats, except NRI seats, as per the agreement.

The Interim Order was passed on a batch of writ petitions challenging economic reservation in Government seats allotted by the colleges as per the deal.

The judge had also ordered the college managements to fill up the management quota strictly on the basis of merit, as per the ranks in the list published by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE).

UNI