Health Min rejects plea to reduce fee of med courses in Cuddalore college

CHENNAI: Health Minister M Subramanian on Thursday categorically rejected the demands of the Opposition and allies to reduce the annual tuition fees of students already studying in Cuddalore Government Medical College, i.e., the erstwhile Raja Muthiah Medical College, which was part of Annamalai University.

“The tuition fee collected from new students at Cuddalore Government Medical College Hospital is only Rs 13,610 per year, but for students who had already enrolled in Raja Muthiah Medical College and now continuing in the Cuddalore GMCH, the fees cannot be reduced. The students had agreed to pay Rs 5.44 lakh per annum at the time of admission to Raja Muthiah Medical College and now the fee has been reduced to Rs 4 lakh per annum. So, the fee structure cannot be revised though the government has taken over the college from Annamalai University,” said Subramanian, in his reply to the special calling attention motion moved by AIADMK, PMK, Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) and Congress.

Earlier, TVK leader Velmurugan said that similar to Cuddalore GMCH, the government took over IRT Medical College, Perundurai, and the fee collected in the Government Erode Medical College is on par with other government medical colleges. He also raised the question that why the same standard is not followed in the Cuddalore GMCH case.

The Minister replied that in the case of IRT Medical College, it was just the transfer of college between departments and, hence, the fee fixed by the government is collected. In case of Raja Muthiah medical college, it is a transfer from a private institution to a government college, so the same norms cannot be applied.