Kathmandu, September 21

Chitwan Medical College students have ended their protest with the signing of an agreement today in the District Administration Office.

A meeting was held in Chitwan District Administration Office between college students and college administrators.

“An agreement was reached that either the college would return the extra fees taken from students or adjust the fee by November 4,” said Sukrat Paudel, a student.

A task force under the coordination of Tanka Prasad Chapagain, representative of guardians, was formed to study the fees taken from students. The six-member committee will submit its report by September 27.

After signing this agreement, students unlocked the college. Classes will resume from September 22.

“If the agreement is breached, we will continue our protest,” said Paudel.

College students had been staging protest for the last 18 days demanding return of the extra fees charged by the college administration and seeking basic infrastructure in the college.

“The college had demanded Rs 12 to 15 lakh from students. During admissions we paid six lakh and the remaining amount is to be paid in instalments. As we came to know that students who had not paid the amount wouldn’t be allowed to sit for examinations, we started the protest,” said Paudel.

Meanwhile, medical students and activists staged a peaceful protest today in Kathmandu demanding stern action against medical colleges charging unjustified fees.

Solidarity for Dr KC Alliance had organised the protest demanding that medical colleges return the extra fees taken from students.

“Medical colleges in the country have been charging extra fees under various headings. We have staged the protest in solidarity with students, said Pritam Subedi, a member of the alliance.

Issuing a press release yesterday, Tribhuvan University requested medical colleges to return the extra fees taken from students and urged students to sit for a meeting to resolve the problem. It also requested students, parents and the bodies concerned not to create disturbances in sensitive places such as hospitals and medical colleges.

The protest had brought teaching-learning activities as well as medical services in the teaching hospital to a grinding halt.

As per the government’s fee structure, colleges in Kathmandu valley cannot charge more than Rs 38.5 lakh from students, while colleges outside Kathmandu valley cannot take more than Rs 42 lakh.

Association of Private Medical Colleges and Dental Colleges, an umbrella organisation of private medical and dental colleges in Nepal, issuing a press release today said the government had mentioned only tuition fees. It said information about extra fees — charges for internal examinations in the college, field visits, community posting, information technology, library, internship, university and council registration fees and affiliation charges have been provided to the Office of the Dean, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University.