The AP High Court on Friday hoped that the Admissions and Fee Reg-ulation Committee would act independently in fixing the fee for the engineering courses for the academic year 2012-13.
Justice C. V. Nagarjuna Reddy, disposing of a plea by the AP Private Engine-ering Colleges Associat-ion and others, observed that the AFRC, being an independent body, would act quickly in accordance with the Rules as notified by the SCHE on June 8, 2007, without being dictated by any agency, contrary to the Rules.
The Private Enginee-ring Colleges Association moved the court, stating that the AFRC unilaterally fixed Rs 35,000 as the fee for all the colleges under pressure from the state government.
Hearing the plea, the judge asked the additional attorney-general K.G. Krishna Murthy to say whether the government was interfering, and if not, he would dismiss the plea.
The additional A-G said there was as yet no official announcement from either the government or the AFRC about the fixing of a uniform fee of Rs 35,000 per year and the petitioners’ fears were based on speculations.
The judge pointed out that everyone knew what was happening and the interests of engineering colleges had to be taken into consideration as the government was interfering unduly with the powers vested in the AFRC.
Counsel for the AFRC told the court that no decision had been taken with regard to the fee structure.
He also told the court that the AFRC would not impose the uniform fee unilaterally on the colleges by ignoring their claims.
The judge made it clear that if the petitioners were aggrieved by the AFRC’s decision on the fee, they shall be free to avail of appropriate remedy under the law.