Harsha Kumar flays Naidu for backing Jagan’s policy

Rajamahendravaram: Former MP GV Harsha Kumar criticised previous YSRCP government and the current NDA government for implementing policies that make medical education accessible only to the wealthy, leaving the poor behind.

Addressing media on Sunday, he expressed his displeasure, stating that while the entire state of Andhra Pradesh rejoiced when five new medical colleges were established last year in Rajahmundry, Vizianagaram, Machilipatnam, Anantapur, and Nandyal, the joy was short-lived due to the policies of the Jagan government. Each of these medical colleges has 150 seats.

Of these, 22 seats (15%) are allocated under Central reservation and non-local quotas, leaving 128 seats for general admissions.

Harsha Kumar explained that these 128 seats are further divided into two categories, with 64 seats in each category. In the first category, 10 seats are reserved for SCs, 5 for STs, and 17 for BCs, leaving 32 seats for general merit.

The second category is split into two sub-categories: 22 seats (35%) under the self-finance category, with a fee of Rs 12 lakh per year, and 10 seats (15%) under the NRI or management quota, with a fee of Rs 20 lakh per year.

Harsha Kumar alleged that out of the 750 seats across the five colleges, 320 seats are being sold for money, leaving only 160 seats available for merit students and 160 seats for reserved categories.

He recalled that before the elections, leaders from TDP, Jana Sena, including N Chandrababu Naidu, Lokesh, and Pawan Kalyan, condemned Jagan’s policy and promised to revoke it if they came to power. However, he accused the current state government of defending the old policy in court, clarifying that both governments are equally responsible for denying medical education to the poor.