CHENNAI: Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary P Shanmugam on Saturday demanded stern action against private medical colleges that allegedly collect excess fees from students admitted under the government quota.

In a statement, he said that reports had emerged that some managements were summoning students who secured admission under the government quota and compelling them to pay additional fees, referring to the counselling for admissions to medical courses for 2025-26, which is underway in 22 private medical colleges and four medical universities in the State. Those who resisted were allegedly threatened with the cancellation of their admission, he said.

Courts, including the Supreme Court and the Madras High Court, had earlier warned private institutions against such practices, the CPM leader said. The Directorate of Medical Education had also issued a circular in August last year to all colleges instructing them to refrain from collecting fees beyond the prescribed limit. Despite this, complaints from parents continued to pour in, alleging coercion and violation of rules, he added.

Shanmugam urged the State government to intervene immediately to put an end to such malpractices, conduct a thorough inquiry with affected students and recover the excess amounts collected by college management. He said stringent action, including cancellation of recognition, should be initiated against institutions found guilty of charging beyond the stipulated fees.