Youth Cong march turns violent; police use water canons

A march taken out by Youth Congress activists to protest the agreement reached between the government and Private Medical College Association in Kerala, including over hike in fees, today turned violent.
Police used water canons to remove the protesting activists, some of whom gave police the slip and entered the state Secretariat through the South gate.
When police tried to chase them away, the activists squatted on the road and raised slogans.When some of them started pelting stones, police used water canons to drive them away.
As per the agreement reached between government and the association recently, it had been decided to charge Rs 2.50 lakh per year for 30 per cent seats, and in 50 per cent seats between Rs 8.5 lakh to Rs 11 lakh.

In the remaining 20 per cent seats the fees will be Rs 25,000 for students from BPL families.
Opposition parties had alleged that the government had succumbed to the demands of the association.

(Reopens MDS4)
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala
today came down heavily on the CPI(M)-led LDF government over the private self-financing medical/dental college admission issue, accusing the government of sharply increasing the course fees even for the students selected under merit quota.
Urging the government to withdraw the fee hike, Chennithala, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, said the agreement reached between the government and the association to effect a 34.14 per cent increase in the fees for merit seats would affect the students from poor families.

"This government came to power in the name of the poor. They sharply increased the fees even in the merit seats without any homework. It is a cruelty. It proves that this government is anti-poor," he told reporters here.