Students who opted a seat through the CET Cell under the higher fee category last year are facing a double whammy.
Not only has the promised part reimbursement of fees for last year reached them, but they now face the ordeal of paying the full amount for the present academic year.
For instance, under the engineering stream hundreds of students opted higher fee seats by paying a tuition fee of Rs 88,000. There was much appreciation when the Government announced in July last that these students would get a refund of Rs 25,000 and they need to pay only Rs 63,000 per annum for the next three years.
Its been more than a year now and the students are yet to get the refund. Now, with the second year (third semester) beginning from August 13, colleges have notified that students pay Rs 88,000 as tuition fee for academic year 2007-08.
Students and parents say this is nothing but a sort of cheating by the Government. “Why did they have to announce the fee reduction in the first place if they were not in a position to reimburse us”, they ask.
Demand Draft
Colleges have announced that the fees be paid in the form of Demand Draft. College managements on their part say that as per the agreement with the Government the higher fee stands at Rs 88,000 and any concession should come from the Government side.
Students who have opted medical and dental seats also suffer the same fate. The Government had announced a concession of Rs 90,000 for medical seat under higher fee category and Rs 50,000 for the dental stream.
When contacted, sources in the Education department said the Finance department is yet to clear the subsidy amount, while the Finance department in turn blamed the former for not presenting  a proper proposal.
While the blame game continues, students are keeping their fingers crossed with the hope that the Government wakes from its slumber soon.