The seat scandal at CPI(M)-controlled Cooperative Medical College in Pariyaram took a new turn on Tuesday with the health minister, Mr Adoor Prakash, surrendering his daughter’s post-graduate seat and a young Marxist leader reportedly securing an NRI quota seat for his daughter.
At a press conference here on Tuesday, Mr Prakash denied he had paid Rs 80 lakh to get the PG medical seat for his daughter, Dr Yamuna.
To buttress his claim, the minister showed a receipt for Rs 28 lakh, saying it was the first year instalment (for the three-year PG course in medicine). He also said he had paid `1.42 lakh as first year hostel fee.
There was nothing illegal in his daughter’s admission, which was on the basis of a written exam and interview held on March 31, he said.
He said the dates showed it all happened before the Assembly poll results were out (on May 13) and his taking over as health minister.
Meanwhile, the NRI seat for the daughter of the pro-CPI (M) DYFI state treasurer, Mr V.V. Rameshan, is a big poser on the party and the youth wing. Mr Rameshan allegedly got the seat for Rs 45 lakh, paid by a close relative, who is an NRI.
The cooperative society, which runs the college, is already under a cloud for pooling back to the government quota only five out of the 21 PG seats when it was legally bound to give at least 10 seats.
The Opposition leader, Mr V.S. Achuthanandan, has called for an inquiry into the government-private college collusion, which also led to the education minister, Mr P.K. Abdu Rabb’s son getting a PG seat on management quota at the Jubilee Medical College.