Private medical colleges in the state are believed to have pocketed nearly Rs 1,000 crore taking advantage of the mad scramble for management quota seats among candidates apprehensive about the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET),which is to be held from next year.If sources are to be believed,management quota seats at almost all private medical colleges in the state have already been filled up,much ahead of EAMCET counselling.
Of the 37 medical colleges in the state,14 are managed by government with the rest being run by private players.With the Medical Council of India (MCI) giving its nod for three more private colleges from this year,the medical seat strength in private colleges has risen to 3,350.
While 60% of the total seats are allocated under the EAMCET convenors quota,private college managements have complete control over the remaining 40%,or nearly 1,250 seats.With each seat believed to have gone for anything between Rs 80 lakh and 1 crore,the private colleges coffers have swelled by over Rs 1,000 crore.The price of an MBBS seat under the management quota was around Rs 40-Rs 50 lakh till last year.
Kallam Anjireddy,dean,NRI Academy of Sciences,Guntur,said: There are rumours about sale of management seats at a premium with some private college managements trying to cash in on the spurt in demand following the NEET announcement.
He said that there should be a transparent and systematic process for admissions under management quota.
B Maheswara Rao,a realtor,said that he had approached a private medical college in Godavari district for a seat for his son who did not fare well in EAMCET.They first informed us that the donation would be around Rs 55 lakh.When we went there to pay the advance last week,they had hiked the same to Rs 85 lakh.So,I had to sell my land in my native village to fund his medical education, he told TOI.
Sources said that aspiring candidates made huge advance payments to book seats under management quota.Counselling for admission into a medical programme is likely to be held in the third week of July as the nodal agency to fill the convenors quota,NTR University of Health Sciences,is yet to come out with a timetable.
When contacted,registrar of NTR University,T Venugopala Rao said that they can take action only after receiving a specific complaint.He said that they were guided by various high court and the Supreme Court judgments about governmental interference in the admission process under management quota.