Day after protests, Soni justifies hike in MBBS/MD fee

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 4

The government has reasonably increased the fees in medical colleges of the state, claimed Minister for Medical Education and Research Om Prakash Soni, in a press statement released here today.

He said the Punjab Government had earlier revised the fees of medical colleges in 2010 and 2015, which was much higher than the current increase. He said the Opposition parties were raking up the issue for political gains.

Soni said the then SAD-BJP government had increased the fees by 98 per cent in 2010 and 225 per cent in 2015, whereas the Congress government had increased it by only 77 per cent.

He said the increase was much needed and in this regard the Punjab Government had asked the advisory committee on medical education, headed by Dr KK Talwar, to examine the matter and after thorough scrutiny, the department had recommended a fee hike.

Besides, it had also come to their notice that due to the inflation, the burden on government colleges had increased manifold. He said the state spent at least Rs13-14 lakh per annum on the education of an MBBS student.

The minister said the fee for the entire MBBS/MD course in private health institution was many times higher as compared to government colleges. “We have also taken several steps to bring uniformity in the fees of private institutions,” the minister said.

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