VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday ordered the government to place before it details pertaining to the reasons for exempting minority dental colleges from fees fixed by the government. It sought to know if minority colleges were being given any special treatment in respect of dental courses.
A division bench comprising Justice Rakesh Kumar and Justice Devanand was hearing a public interest litigation complaining that private medical and dental colleges were refusing admissions to students who secured seats in medical and dental courses in the counselling conducted by the NTR University of Health Sciences.
The petition was filed by a journalist Suresh. Presenting his arguments, his advocate said at least 1500 students were inconvenienced because of the refusal of the private medical and dental colleges to admit them. To which the bench suggested that they could approach the government.
However, the advocate informed the court that the private colleges have moved the court objecting to the fee structure fixed by the government.
The standing counsel of NTR University of Health Sciences G Vijay Kumar informed that they had conducted counselling and allocated seats but that the private colleges have not opened their doors. He said the university was facing difficulties because of the way the college managements were behaving as counselling was yet to be conducted for the remaining phases.
Reading out GO No. 56, the bench then sought to know why the government did not mention minority colleges in respect of dental courses’ fee when it had fixed the fee for medical courses in private and unaided minority and non-minority colleges.
Government advocate K Srinivasulu Reddysaid he would place the relevant details before the court and sought some time.
He also urged the bench to club the petition with other pleas on the same issue. Accepting his request, the court deferred hearing to June 17.