Agitating students of Chitwan Medical College have demanded resignation of Education Minister Giriraj Mani Pokharel for failing to implement the decision he took.
The Cabinet meeting on October 14, 2018 had set a fee of Rs 3.85 million for MBBS students inside the Kathmandu Valley, and Rs 4.245 million outside the Valley but the college has been charging up to Rs 5.50 million from each student.
The Education Ministry had written to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) under the Tribhuvan University (TU) to get the extra money the medical colleges charged returned. Students at the Chitwan Medical College have started agitation after the college instead of returning the extra money are still asking for extra fee on top of that set by the government.
Issuing a statement Prakash Chand, son of CPN Chairman Netra Bikram Chand, who has been leading the student movement in Chitwan has demanded resignation of Education Minister Pokharel. "How can a helpless man like you who cannot implement the decision you took about fees remain a minister? Is this the dignity of the position of minister? Are you helpless and incompetent or have you been financially influenced by the mafia? We want answers to that," the statement issued by the medical education struggle committee reads.
The Education Ministry on March 26 had instructed private medical colleges to return the extra money if they have overcharged after agreement reached in the meeting of agitating students of and representatives of the association of private medical colleges including chairman Basuruddin Ansari and promoter of Chitwan Medical College Haris Chandra Neupane called by Education Minister Pokharel.
The agitating students have taken exception to the government for getting them arrested instead of punishing the medical colleges that have illegally fleeced millions from the students. "Our agitation will continue until every penny of the billions collected illegally by all the medical colleges of the country is returned and the financial criminals are brought to book," the statement adds.
