Engg colleges still hold back students’ documents: GTD

Private engineering colleges, despite clear instructions, continue to withhold original certificates of students or demand they pay full fees if they chose to discontinue the course.

This admission came from Higher Education Minister G T Devegowda no less, in a written reply to Moodbidri MLA Umanath Kotian (BJP) in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

Devegowda said all the engineering colleges had been directed, as per All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) guidelines, not to withhold documents or certificates and repay the fee paid if students choose to discontinue the course. “Two circulars dated October 14, 2015 and March 9, 2018 have been issued informing colleges of the same,” the minister said. To Kotian’s question on whether the government was aware that colleges continued to flout this, the minister stated, “Yes.”

So far, the government has taken up 24 such complaints against engineering colleges, the minister informed. “They are being examined and action is being taken as per rules.”

A government engineering college was sanctioned in Chikkamagaluru in November 2012. Six years later, the college has remained on paper.

In a written reply to C T Ravi (BJP), Devegowda stated that work on constructing the college had been entrusted to the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU). “Construction work has not started because the Income Tax department has confiscated Rs 440 crore of VTU funds,” the minister stated.

Ravi cried foul. “The last time I asked the question, I was told that the government had sought NABARD funds and that the tender process was underway. I’m answerable to my constituents and it’s been six years since this college was sanctioned,” Ravi said.

Devegowda hit back saying the college was sanctioned when the BJP was in power. “You were the higher education minister then. You should have ensured availability of a building before sanctioning the college.”

The minister said the government had not received a response from NABARD and it had sought Rs 26 crore under the Centre’s Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA).