Commission submitted against Sale of Medical seats.

Karnataka will put in place a clear policy by next year to prevent sale of medical seats by private colleges, assured Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar on Monday in the Legislative Council.

He said the commission set up to study the problems had submitted its report to the government.

"The current penalty for surrendering a medical seat is ?5 lakh. This will be enhanced five times and made? 25 lakh," Dr. Sudhakar said.

The Minister was replying to a question posed by BJP member N. Ravikumar, who sought to know what action had been initiated against erring private medical colleges. Mr. Ravikumar had posed the question in the context of income tax searches on 12 private medical colleges that yielded? 402 crore undeclared wealth.

"The seat surrendering issue has been there for some years now. Some medical colleges have been misusing the loopholes in law and interpreting the Supreme Court orders in their own way." Karnataka has a total of 65 medical colleges of which 45 colleges are run by private managements.

Earlier, Mr. Ravikumar said nearly 400 medical seats in private medical colleges are sold every year in violation of the rules. He pointed out that colleges identify meritorious students and get the seat filled by them. Later, the seat is vacated by paying a fine, which is then sold by the managements to others. "Genuine meritorious students are denied seats as a result," he pointed out. He said that despite many seats being sold, the government had not issued notices to any medical college nor initiated action against RGUHS officials.

Further, the BJP member also asked what action the government had taken against the 12 medical colleges where ?402 crore has been unearthed. Dr. Sudhakar replied that the government cannot give notice since it is a black money case. "Investigation agencies have started their probe. Since black money is involved, the I-T Department is looking at it. Action will be initiated against colleges if they violate Acts under State jurisdiction".