Amritsar pharmacy college overcharges fee, ordered to refund

The college is affiliated with Inder Kumar Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar. Students have paid between ₹60,000 and ₹65,000 against the legitimate fee of ₹29,000.

Jalandhar The State Technical and Industrial Training department, in a probe, has found that Shaheed Bhagat Singh College of Pharmacy, Sohian Kalan village, Amritsar, is guilty of charging double the fee that the state government has mandated from its diploma students. The college is affiliated with Inder Kumar Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar. Students have paid between ₹60,000 and ₹65,000 against the legitimate fee of ₹29,000.

Students at an admission counter. (HT FILE PHOTO FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY)

Technical education department principal secretary Anurag Verma has directed the secretary of his department to get refund of overcharged fee to students or their parents from the college management before March 31. “If the college will not return the overcharged fee to students then get FIR registered against college management,” Verma’s order adds.

The department had ordered inspection against the college as it had received complaints that the college has been charging high fee from students of diploma. Rajesh Kumar, officiating principal, Government Polytechnic College, for Jalandhar on March 16, 2021.

Anurag Verma wrote a letter to the secretary, technical education that the inspecting teams recorded video statements of the students. Verma also asked the secretary to initiate the process to cancel affiliation as per rules, with the inspection recording shortcomings. The college principal did not respond to repeated calls.