By Our Reporter
The Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MOEST) has asked the guardians and students of medical education to file complaints against the medical colleges if they do not refund the extra fees taken from them in a fortnight.
Organising a press conference on Monday, the Minsitry said it had given a 15-day ultimatum to the medical colleges to return the extra fees taken from the students.
Minister for Education Science and Technology (MOEST) Giriraj Mani Pokharel asked the students and guardians to file case against the medical colleges at the concerned District Administration Office if they failed to return the extra charges within the given deadline.
Minister Pokharel said the government was not in a mood to take action against the medical colleges in the fraud case.
However, Dr.Bhagawan Koirala ,chairman of the Nepal Medical Council on Tuesday said that the colleges which did not refund the extra fees they had collected would face music.
The Education Ministry has also already coordinated with the Home Ministry to take action against such fraud colleges.
Minister Pokharel also asked the guardians not to accept unfair conditions of the medical colleges while enrolling their wards.
The government had put a ceiling on the amount the medical colleges collect from the students.
A Cabinet meeting last year had fixed the fees for the MBBS course at Rs. 3.85 million for the medical colleges being operated in the Kathmandu Valley and Rs. 4.24 million for the colleges outside the valley. However, the colleges have been found charging extra money under different headings.
Earlier on Saturday, the medical college students met with Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa and urged him to immediately act against private medical colleges that have defied successive government directives to refund the additional fees they charged the students earlier.
On September 23, following a protest from students, the government had agreed to authorise the local administration to start action against medical colleges that didn’t refund their money within a month. However, nearly two weeks after the deadline elapsed, the government didn’t initiate any action against the errant medical colleges, prompting the students to start fresh protests from November 4.
Meanwhile, the students of the Universal Medical College, Bhirahawa padlocked the administration and account sections of the college and the offices of Campus Chief and Assistant chief on Tuesday for not abiding by the agreement.
It is alleged that the government was hesitant in taking action as the owners of the colleges enjoy political patronage.
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