UDF calls off hunger strike before Assembly

Thiruvananthapuram: United Democratic Front (UDF) decided on Wednesday to discontinue hunger strike by its MLAs in front of the Assembly Hall over fee hike in self-financing medical colleges.

This is against the background of failure of talks to settle the issue and the adjournment of the House. The House which cancelled sittings on Thursday and Friday would now meet only on October 17 after the pooja holidays.

The Opposition feel that there was no point in fasting before the House as there would not be any sittings for 11 days.

The UDF committee, which met here, decided to carry on with agitations outside the Assembly.

Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala said that the failure of talks between the college managements and the Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan showed the adamant stand and haughtiness of Mr. Vijayan.

The Health Minister and Health Secretary had worked out a formula for agreement. However, Mr. Vijayan did not even allow them to present the formula. The managements did not put forward the proposal because they had got telephone calls from CPI (M) headquarters against doing so.  

The Opposition Leader recalled that it was Fazal Gafoor of MES who had first stated that it was not a big deal for the college managements to reduce the fee for merit seats. Subsequently, he had told the Opposition leaders that other managements too could be brought around to agree to reduction of fees. However, the reduction could only be in the form of scholarships because of legal issues.

After meeting the Health Minister, about 30 representatives of managements had met Opposition leaders and had stated that they could provide scholarships only for students with annual income of less than Rs. 3 lakhs, and not Rs. 4 lakh as wanted by the Opposition. This was broadly agreed to.

However, when they met the Chief Minister, the Chief Minister spoke harshly to them and told them that if they wanted, the whole agreement could be re-negotiated. The management representatives refrained from making any proposal seeing the mood of the Chief Minister, Mr. Chennithala said.