College Fee: HC stays Mohammed Committee order

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Friday stayed the order of the Justice P A Mohammed Committee which refixed the fee of self-financing medical colleges. The court has also granted permission to the managements of five SFMCs to exact an annual fee of Rs 3.50 lakh.The panel’s order was challenged by the managements of Kannur Medical College, MES Medical College, Perinthalmanna, Karakonam CSI Medical College, Assisia Medical College, Kollam, and Travancore Medical College which have signed an agreement with the state government. The Justice P A Mohammed Committee had fixed the fees as Rs 2.54 lakh to Rs 2.72 lakh per annum.The college managements submitted that Rs 4 lakh was exacted as fees last year. The fees fixed by the panel would cause a huge loss to them, they said. Moreover, they were not given notice before the fees were refixed. The committee has no authority to fix the fees, the petitioners submitted.The committee order goes against an earlier order by the Division Bench saying fees proportional to expenses can be exacted. The Division Bench had fixed the fees in four medical colleges run by Christian managements at Rs 3.50 lakh per annum.Justice P R Ramachandra Menon in the order said situations in different colleges in the state are not mentioned in the order issued by the committee. Also, sufficient reasons are not mentioned to establish that managements are making profit.Last year’s fee structure and this year’s fees structure are not proportional, the court said.The fees fixed by the court will only be a temporary arrangement.If found excessive, the excess amount should be refunded to students.If insufficient, the students will have to pay the balance amount, the court said.The court directed that each student should be informed that a case regarding the fee structure is pending before the court.