BHUBANESWAR: Minister of State for Higher Education Badri Narayan Patra on Thursday assured the Assembly that action would be taken against aided colleges demanding donation from students at the time of admission. Responding to a query from Congress member Santosh Singh Saluja, the Minister said tuition fees have been fixed for Plus Two and Plus Three colleges under grant-in-aid fold. The department has issued instructions to aided colleges not to seek donation or special fees from the students during admission. To several supplementaries, the Minister said tuition fees for Plus Two Arts and Commerce has been fixed at Rs. 8 while that for Science is Rs. 9. The tuition fees for Plus Three Arts and Commerce is Rs.10 while it is Rs.11 for Science. Admitting that several private colleges are discriminated so far as block grant and full grant is concerned, the Minister said colleges eligible for block grant as per the 1994 rules have been covered. Though these colleges are entitled to full grant from 2004, some of them are yet to get full Government assistance. Many of the affected colleges have moved the Orissa High Court and got relief while several others, though entitled to the same benefit, have been ignored. The Government is making all possible efforts to resolve the problem. However, money remains a constraint. According to an estimate, Rs.300 crore is required to meet the demands of the colleges in block grant mode. The left out colleges will be provided full grant as and when the financial condition of the Government permits, he promised.
Comments
0 comment