NAGPUR: The state government is mulling buying private engineering colleges , instead of starting new ones, provided the owners agree to its terms and conditions. There are a large number of private colleges on the verge of closing down because of lack of students . The owners have incurred huge losses and many have defaulted on bank loans.

The issue was raised by BJP MLC N G Ganar during the Question Hour . The MLC said the government was spending crores of rupees on giving subsidy to private engineering colleges for teaching SC and ST students for free and OBC students at half the fee. It would be better if the government started one college in every district, he added. At present, only 10 districts have government engineering colleges.

Education minister Vinod Tawde agreed that many private colleges were in a bad shape. “Around 42% seats were not filled up in 2013-14. Some colleges are on the verge of closure.” He, however, made it clear that at present, the government has no plan to start new engineering colleges or increase the number of seats in government colleges. “We are also thinking of making clusters of three to four engineering colleges so the same faculty can students in these colleges,” he added.

When Tawde said a plan was being drafted for new engineering colleges, Congress MLC Rajendra Mulak countered him by pointing out that a similar plan was made in 2010-11. The minister later said that colleges were not getting students because their courses no longer fetched jobs. “We will change the courses and submit it to AICTE for approval. The courses will not be completely changed; they will match the needs of industry,” Tawde said.

When Congress and NCP members said subsidy to colleges for OBC students had not been paid this academic year, Tawde pointed out that Congress-NCP government had not sanctioned Rs 650 crore in 2012-13 for OBC subsidy.

