Private medical colleges in the state have sought a 15% hike in the annual fee.

The management representatives of private medical colleges met Minister for Medical Education D K Shivakumar on Monday with regard to the fee hike for undergraduate medical and dental courses for the academic year 2018-19.

Representatives of the Karnataka Religious and Linguistic Minority Professional Colleges Association and Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (ComedK) have sought a 15% hike in the fee.

The government-appointed fee regulatory committee chaired by former high court judge Justice Shylendra Kumar, had proposed a hike of eight percent and had written to individual medical and dental colleges in this regard earlier this month.

However, according to an MoU signed between private medical colleges and the state government, an annual fee hike of only 10% is allowed. The MoU is valid for three successive years.

Shivakumar told reporters, “They are demanding a fee hike citing the government’s decision to hike the pay scales of employees by 30%. They are also demanding that the fee be fixed on par with the fee charged at ‘deemed to be’ medical universities. We are examining the legal implications as an agreement has been entered into for a 10% hike for three years.”

Sources said medical colleges representatives may budge for a 10% hike if the negotiation for 15% fails. Colleges, however, are unhappy over the eight percent. The Karnataka Professional Colleges Foundation said that they will approach the court citing that the fee-regulatory committee must send the proposal to the government and not fix a fee and send recommendations to colleges.