RJD-NCP-JD(S) leaders to lodge complaint to PM on Med issue

Puducherry, Aug 6 (UNI) The Nationalist Congress Party, Rastriya Janata Dal and the Janata Dal (Secular) would lodge a complaint with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh against the Puducherry administration on the issue of admission to the private medical colleges here.

Addressing a press conference here today, leaders of the three parties-- Mr Sunderamurthy(NCP), Sanjeevi (RJD) and Ganesan (JD-S)-- said their parties had embarked on a series of agitations to press the government to get 50 per cent seats in all the seven private medical colleges here.

However, the government had obtained only 311 seats instead of 475 seats, they said, adding the administration had failed to introduce the Act to get 50 per cent seats as in Tamil Nadu and also to regulate the fees structure.

The leaders pointed out that if a complaint of excess fees was registered in Tamil Nadu, immediate checking was carried out by the officials. However, no such action would be initiated from the territorial government here on the issue.

Stating that the seven colleges were earning Rs 200 crore a year, they wondered how much tax was being paid to the territorial administration and how the administration was benefitted because of them.

Alleging that the administration was planning to issue No Objection Certificates for the setting up of more colleges here, they said permission should not be given to open more private medical colleges if it did not benefit Puducherry students.

Pointing out that their parties had organsied a bandh here on July 31, the leaders alleged that the administration had arrested all the leaders citing preventive measures to prevent the bandh.

The matter was brought to the notice of national leaders of their parties, who assured them to arrange a meeting with the Prime Minister shortly, they added.

UNI