Nationalise medical, engineering colleges, demands HDK

Speaking after giving financial assistance to a poor student, Vimala, to join a engineering course, Kumaraswamy said the State government’s decision to increase the admission fee for professional courses had prevented hundreds of poor students from joining professional courses.

Vimala is daughter of Gangaraju, a stonemason in Peenya. Though she has scored high marks, her father was unable to pay the admission fee for engineering course, Kumaraswamy said.

Instead of splurging on construction of bhavans and religious institutions, the government should extend financial succour to poor students, the former chief minister said.

He said the BJP government had withdrawn a scheme to provide financial assistance to poor students that he had introduced when he was chief minister.  Kumaraswamy said that despite repeated requests by the JD(S) legislature party the Chief Secretary had initiated no action against Chief Minister Yeddyurappa for illegally purchasing 9.12 acres of agriculture land at Shiralakoppa village of Shikaripura in 2006.

As per the section 79a and 79b of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, no person with annual income more than Rs two lakh can buy agriculture land in the State.