Chandigarh: Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon on Sunday hit out at the AAP-led state govt over the steep hike in MBBS fees, accusing it of making medical education inaccessible to children from poor and middle-class families and questioning its claims of an “education revolution”.“According to reports, MBBS fee in Punjab’s medical colleges has been increased substantially. Fees in govt colleges have also risen, while the total course fee in private medical colleges has increased from Rs 21.4 lakh to around Rs 25.2 lakh,” Dhillon, in a written statement, said.He added: “This is not merely a matter of increasing fees, but an issue concerning the future of thousands of young people in Punjab.”He stated, “If the govt continues to make education more expensive, children from poor and middle-class families will be deprived of medical education, and their dreams of becoming doctors will be shattered.”Questioning the “double standards” of AAP govt, he stated, “On one hand, govt talks about framing laws and policies to check the growth of private schools, while on the other, it is itself increasing the cost of medical education. If govt genuinely considers education a right of the common people, then why is it making an important professional education like medicine more expensive?”He demanded immediate withdrawal of the hike in MBBS fees and urged govt to ensure that lack of money does not become a barrier for any meritorious Punjabi student aspiring to become a doctor.”
