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EDUCATION |
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Fee hike: CM’s intervention sought
Tribune News Service
LUDHIANA, Aug 1 — A Senior Akali leader and member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly, Mr Maheshinder Singh Grewal, has sought the intervention of the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, to review the decision on fee hike in various professional education institutions.In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, Mr Grewal pointed out the difficulties faced by the students, particularly from the rural areas after the fee was increased in various professional institutions. He revealed that he had come across several cases, where the students could not join the professional courses due to lack of money although they had been on the merit list. He said, the recent hike by the department of technical education for various engineering courses has worked as a restraint for the poor and deserving rural students. He said the fee for free category of students has been enhanced to Rs 55,000, while only a year back it was Rs 1000 only. Similarly, the fee for the paid category is now Rs 95,000 per year. He pointed out, this was beyond the means of the rural people and they may be discouraged to undertake technical courses. He also sought the attention of the Chief Minister on the issue of reservation for rural areas in the Dental and Medical College at Amritsar, a creation of the SGPC. He said, although the government was taking care of the rural people in the shape of free power and water besides discontinuing collection of revenue, but the withdrawal of partial subsidies on fertilisers, increase in the prices of diesel and levy of additional sales tax have made the life of rural people miserable. Mr Grewal urged the Chief Minister to ensure that the poor have an access to technical education at low cost and also ensure that the reservation for rural category in the Guru Ramdas Dental and Medical College, which has been stopped since last year is restored from this year.
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