Govt considering measures to reduce medical fees in the state: Karnataka CM Bommai
Davangere(PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said that the government is considering measures to reduce the fees for medical course in the state and also National Medical Council (NMC) is looking into it, following the Ukraine crisis, aimed at facilitating more students to study here.
He also said that the Centre is considering alternative measures for medical students, who have returned from war-torn Ukraine, before completing their course.
"The current cost of medical education is increasing. Despite the cost of government seats being low, in the private sector it is increasing. In some cases students, who score 90-95 per cent are unable to clear NEET exams, as management or NRI seat costs are also high, they opt for via media options (of studying in countries like Ukraine)," Bommai said.
He was responding to a question regarding plans for changes in policies to provide enough opportunity for students to study medicine in India itself, instead of them going to countries like Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "the government has held discussions in this regard, to reduce the fees in the state we are planning for A, B and C categorisation, but as the medical courses are controlled by National Medical Council (NMC), they are also looking at it. Things are under consideration in the backdrop of the Ukraine crisis."
To a question whether the government is planning any alternate arrangements for medical students who have returned from Ukraine, as their education is discontinued, the Chief Minister said, the central government is thinking about it.
"The course there is different from here, on completing the course there, students have to clear exams to practice here. Students of first, second and third year all have come back, as students from different states are involved, the Centre is thinking about it," he added.
Bommai was speaking ahead of visiting Chalageri village of Ranebennur taluk in Haveri district, to pay last respects to Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagaudar, a final year medical student at Kharkiv National Medical University, who was killed on March 1 in Russian shelling in Ukraine.
The Chief Minister earlier in the day had received the mortal remains of Gyanagaudar at the airport in Bengaluru.
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Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
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“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
