Pune: Around 50 MBBS students at the Kashibai Navale Medical College (KNMC) at Narhe, here, have been kept away from classes for non-payment of the revised tuition fee.

Parents of the suffering students have described the college's decision as 'unjustified'. College authorities, however, say that there was no alternative solution except barring students from attending regular classes.

The Shikshan Shulka Samiti (Fee Fixation Panel), appointed by the state government, fixed the college fees at Rs.4.40 lakhs per student for 2007-08.

KNMC, run by the Sinhgad Technical Education Society (STES), started its functioning in October 2007. The Fee Fixation Panel allowed the college to charge an interim fee of Rs.2.20 lakhs per student, pending approval of the final fee.

This approval came nearly two months back and the final fees stood revised at Rs.4.40 lakhs i.e. double the interim charge.

The college is now demanding a total fee of 6.60 lakhs including 2.20 lakhs for 2007-08 and 4.40 lakhs for 2008-09. Students and parents have described this decision as "extremely prohibitive and beyond their means and imagination".

Parents of the affected students recently met STES chief M.N. Navel to work out an interim solution for the sake of student's future. The talks however resulted in deadlock situation between the two.

"The college offered to settle for Rs.3 lakhs initially and the rest in a phased manner, but with a rider - we should give post-dated cheques, which is as good as paying the whole fee", said a parent.

A Joint Action Group formed by the parents has now decided to move to the Bombay High Court.

"Students continued to enjoy our hostel facilities and none would turn up to even discuss payment of dues. The final amount of Rs.4.40 lakhs was worked out in the presence of chartered accountants of the college and the Fee Fixation Panel", said a KNMC official.