Problems in pvt medical college sector created by LDF: Chandy

Congress leader Oommen Chandy today flayed the reported statement of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that it was the agreement entered into between self-financing educational institutions and then UDF government, headed by A K Antony, which was responsible for all issues related to the private medical college sector.
"Blaming Antony for the present crisis in the private medical college sector is to cover up the failure of the CPIM-led LDF government," Chandy said.
"The LDF government is responsible for the present problems in the private medical colleges with regard to fees structure," he said in a statement here today.
Government was forced to yield to the demands of the private managements as it held discussions without doing homework on the matter, he alleged.

Managements had agreed for a reconsideration of fees as they themselves were aware that it was high, he claimed, alleging that due to the attitude of the chief minister, the benefit the students could have received was lost.
Defending Antony's decision to open up higher education for the self-financing sector, Chandy claimed people of the state remember with gratitude the service done by Antony for the higher education sphere.

He said the then UDF government decided to sanction self-financing colleges to improve the facilities and also to prevent students going out of the state for higher studies.
Till 2001, there were only five medical colleges and 12 engineering colleges in the state. In addition to this, 24 medical colleges and 119 engineering institutions, several nursing and, management studies institutions came up due to the then UDF government's decision, he added.

Congress-led UDF Opposition in the state has been on the warpath for the last few weeks demanding reconsideration of the fee structure agreement between the government and the managements.