Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led UDF in Kerala decided to intensify its agitation from tomorrow on the issue of fee hike in self-financing medical colleges following failure of talks between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the managements of the colleges.
 
The opposition, UDF, has been boycotting Assembly proceedings for the last seven days over the issue. Two of its MLAs, Hibi Eden and Shafi Parambil, who were on a hunger strike, were shifted to hospital this evening as their condition reportedly worsened. Two other MLAs, VT Balaram and Roji M John, have replaced them.
 
The UDF boycotted the Assembly proceedings today as well to express solidarity with Parambil and Eden, who carried on with their hunger strike at the foyer of the Assembly hall.
 
Kerala Congress(J) leader Anoop Jacob, who too was on hunger strike, had to be hospitalised on the fourth day.  

Blaming Vijayan for the failure of the talks, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the chief minister had taken a "very wrong" approach. "The talks failed because of the chief minister," he claimed.
 
Though the managements of the private medical colleges were prepared to reduce the fees, the government was "not keen" on it, alleged Chennithala, adding that the chief minister had adopted an "arrogant" stand on the issue.
 
Meanwhile, CPI-M state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged that the UDF protest was launched with a "political" motive and claimed that the students were not part of it.
 
The association of the managements of the colleges held talks with state Health Minister KK Shylaja in the morning. It reportedly told the minister that reducing fees and offering scholarship to weaker students were not "agreeable".
 
The association members claimed that no talk was held with the chief minister on reduction of fees, rather discussions were held regarding next academic year's entrance matters.
 
As per the agreement arrived at last week between the government and the self-financing medical college managements on seat-sharing and fee structure for MBBS and dental courses, there was no change in the fee of Rs 25,000 for the 20 per cent seats for the economically weaker sections.
 
The fee for the 30 per cent government quota seats was hiked to Rs 2.5 lakh from 1.85 lakh. For the 35 per cent management quota seats, it was hiked to Rs 11 lakh from Rs 8 lakh, while that of the 15 per cent NRI seats was increased to Rs 15 lakh from Rs 12 lakh.
 
The Opposition has described the fee hike as "exorbitant" and a "huge blow" to the student community.