Pvt med college issue: Govt-Youth Cong talk fails

Thiruvananthapuram: Talks between Health Minister K K Shylaja and Youth Congress, the youth outfit of opposition Congress, over fees and admission in private self financing colleges Monday failed as government declined to make any changes in the agreement which it signed with managements.

The talks were held after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced in the Assembly this morning that the government was ready for talks with the Youth Congress outfits, who are on an indefinite fast in front of the secretariat here for the last seven days over the issue.

The statement was made after members of Congress-led UDF squatted in the well of the House and raised slogans for not accepting their plea, seeking an adjournment motion over the issue.

Though the YC leaders demanded a change in the present fees structure, which they said was exorbitant and burden for students, during the talks, the minister was reluctant to make any changes, saying that the allotment had already started.

Shylaja later told reporters that the government would initiate stern action against those managements which violate the provisions of the agreement.

The government s future actions on the issue would be based on an impending Supreme Court verdict in a related case in the matter.

The indefinite fast is being conducted by Youth Congress president Dean Kuriakose and another activist.

Meanwhile, the march by activists of Kerala Students' Union, the students outfit of Congress and Youth Congress raising the issue turned violent in the capital city and Kozhikode.

Police resorted to a lathicharge to disperse the agitating students.