Amritsar, September 16
The candidates selected for MBBS course in the SGPC-run Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SGRDIMSR) under government quota were a harassed lot today as they were asked to deposit a sum of over Rs 3 lakh as one time payment of the annual fee.
The candidates along with their parents thronged the college in the morning but were shell shocked to learn from the notice board that they had to deposit Rs 2.5 lakh as fee, Rs 50,000 as security and Rs 2000 as amalgamated funds.
On the other hand, the admission process in the government-run local dental college has been completed without any procedural hitch.
Dr A.S Gill, Principal of the college, said the process was completed as per the directions of the government and university.
Father of a
candidate, while taking to this correspondent, said the government had fixed annual fee of Rs 75,000 per student. Expressing his anguish he said “the amount being sought now is mind boggling and out of my reach”.
A majority of the candidates and their parents were dejected and worried about arranging the staggering amount.
Meanwhile, those who could arrange the money deposited the fee while the rest of the people ran from pillar to post to make the authorities understand their plight.
Baffled parents approached the Department of Research and Medical Education Punjab
(DRME), to gain information and consulted its high officials who told them to make a draft of Rs 75,000 in the name of Principal of SGRDIMSR in today’s date and to hand it over to the Registrar of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences.
Dr U.S. Dhaliwal, Principal of SGRDIMSR, said the fee was being charged as per the prospectus of the institute issued about five months ago and they were empowered to fix fee without charging any profit.
He claimed that the college spent Rs 4.25 lakh annually for imparting education to each student but it was charging only Rs 2.5 lakh from the students.
He added that the students seeking admission under government quota were already late by one and half months as classes had started from July 31, 2005 in the college.
Dr
J.S. Dalal, Director, DRME, said the department had issued a notification to the Registrar of BFUHS and Principals of colleges to accept fee as mentioned in the prospectus of BFUHS which was Rs 75,000. He said action, including the cancellation of affiliation, would be taken against the colleges that failed comply with the order.
