The Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors' Association (APJUDA) has taken strong objection to the government's proposed fee structure for private medical and dental colleges. If implemented, the new fee structure would make education in the state costlier.

In a press release, APJUDA president Dr B Prabhakar said the so-called free merit seats were no longer free. Fifty per cent of the seats would cost Rs 55,000 per student per year and 25 per cent would cost between Rs 60,000 and Rs 1 lakh per year. The remaining 25 per cent of the seats would cost Rs 4 lakh.

The APJUDA statement said the proposed fee structure was a blow to the dreams and aspirations of the meritorious students belonging to poor families as they would not be able to afford medical education in private colleges. The Association had challenged the government for an open debate on the proposed fee structure. APJUDA had also demanded that the government should disclose the number of seats under the reserved category.

It may be recalled that the private colleges had been demanding a quota of 75 per cent of the seats for the management and the rest to be filled by the convenor of EAMCET from the merit list. This issue was resolved after several rounds of bargaining by the representatives of the government and the managements. As per the agreements, the seats had been categorized as A, B, C and D and 50 per cent of the seats (A and B categories) were allocated to the convenor of EAMCET, who will fill 25 per cent of it with merit holders and 25 per cent with SC, ST and OBC candidates figuring in the EAMCET list. Of the 50 per cent of the seats given to the managements under C and D, 25 per cent of the seats are reserved for SC, ST and OBC candidates from the EAMCET list and the remaining 25 per cent will be filled by the management at its discretion from among students who passed Intermediate or Plus Two.

Though the managements had been demanding a fee structure of Rs 2.3 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh for the A, B and C categories and Rs 5 lakh for the D category, the government had proposed a fee structure of Rs 50,000 - Rs 55,000 to the A and B categories, between Rs 60,000 and Rs 1 lakh for the C category and Rs 4 lakh for the D category. The proposal is waiting for the Chief Minister's clearance.