Taking note of complaints about discrepancies in college fee fixation, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil announced the formation of a high-level inquiry committee led by a retired High Court judge. This decision was made in response to a motion raised by MLA Mahesh Shinde in the Legislative Assembly, with MLA Prashant Bamb also participating.
Minister Patil clarified that as per Supreme Court directives, the Fee Regulating Authority (FRA) is operational in the state. Colleges are required to submit audited financial reports from the previous year, with fees calculated based on dividing total approved expenditure by the number of students, valid for three years.
Several complaints have emerged alleging that colleges are inflating costs, including claiming salaries for non-existent professors, expenses for non-existent construction projects, and general inflation of miscellaneous costs to increase fees. Minister Patil warned that if the inquiry uncovers a significant scam, the government will not hesitate to involve a Special Investigation Team (SIT), file FIRs, or engage the Economic Offences Wing (EOW).
To ensure an impartial investigation, a Deputy Secretary-level officer from the Higher and Technical Education Department will supervise the entire process, Minister Patil assured. He reiterated the government’s dedication to education, highlighting that the state currently covers fees for students from SC, ST, and OBC categories, as well as for girls from families with annual incomes up to Rs 8 lakh.
