Colleges charged fivefold affiliation fee in violation of law: Satish Chavan

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

MLC Satish Chavan has alleged that the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University administration arbitrarily imposed a fivefold increase in affiliation fees on colleges, violating provisions of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act.

Chavan met pro-vice chancellor Dr Walmik Sarwade and registrar Dr Prashant Amritkar on Friday. He claimed officials failed to justify the decision. While the administration said the hike was approved by statutory bodies, management council members Dr Bharat Khandare and Adv Dattabhau Bhange stated the issue was never discussed. Documents of the fee fixation committee also made no mention of such a hike, Chavan said. Calling the move arbitrary and baseless, he demanded a rollback by Monday, warning that affected colleges would approach the High Court and other constitutional forums if no action is taken.

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Direct impact on students

Chavan said colleges would pass the increased fees on to students, demanding immediate cancellation. He also warned that rural colleges may shut down if the hike is enforced.

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University response

Pro-vice chancellor Dr Walmik Sarwade said the fee is being charged as per existing rules approved by university authorities and similar charges are levied by other universities.