UDF MLAs fast against Kerala med college issue continues

thiruvananthapuram: congress-led udf opposition continued their agitation in the kerala assembly on the private medical college issue for the third day today, as the government refused to reconsider its agreement with the managements on fee structure and admissions. replying to a notice for an adjournment motion, chief minister pinarayi vijayan maintained that there was no need for any change in the fee structure.      on the opposition charge that the government had failed to check acceptance of capitation fees by managements, he said a vigilance probe would be ordered into complaints regarding it. he said the government would soon complete the process of taking over the medical college at pariyaram in kannur under the co-operative sector.      "though the previous udf government had started the process of taking over the college, it has not been completed. this government will complete the process soon," he said.       the left leader said fees applicable in government colleges would be charged once this college became a government institution.     health minister k k shailaja criticised the udf stir and said it was aimed at creating a smoke screen with an intention to help private managements which had effectively been reined in by the ldf government.     she said the government would take legal action against three private medical colleges which had not signed agreements with the government. "we are not going to allow them to do whatever they want," she said, adding the government had received complaints of malpractices in admissions in these colleges. she also informed the house that the admission process would be completed by today as stipulated by the apex court.     meanwhile, opposition leader ramesh chennithala tabled in the house a cd purportedly containing audio clips connected with a private medical college management member demanding capitation fees from a prospective student.     he alleged it was the copy of the audio aired by a tv channel recently and disputed the government's argument that no capitation fees was being charged by managements.     some udf members moved near the speaker's podium and raised slogans against the government after the opposition's notice for an adjournment motion on the issue was rejected.      speaker p sreeramakrishan went through it and adjourned the house for the day, cancelling private members' business.     seeking notice for the motion, t v balaram (cong) attacked vijayan and alleged he was behaving like a dictator.      he alleged that the medical college at pariyaram stood to benefit the most following the agreement.     meanwhile, mlas shafi parambil and hibi eden (both congress) and anoop jacob (kc-j) continued their indefinite fast at the foyer of the hall for the third day today. n a nellikunnau and k k abid hussain thangal (both iuml) replaced k m shaji and n shamsuddin (both iuml), who are on a sit-in dharna to express solidarity with the trio.