Students of Gandaki Medical College stage relay hunger strike against the college in Pokhara, on Sunday, February 10, 2019. Photo: Bharat Koirala

POKHARA: Students of Gandaki Medical College of Pokhara staged relay hunger strike today accusing the college of charging students more than the fee recommended by the Tribhuvan University Institue of Medicine.

The students launched relay hunger strike after the four rounds of talks between the agitated students and the college failed to make headway.

Classes at the college have been disrupted since Thursday after the agitating students of MBBS and BNS padlocked the classrooms. They also padlocked the college administration and halted OPD services since Tuesday.

Instead of resolving the issues, the college administration has turned a blind eye to our demands, the agitated students claimed. Student Rabina Mishra said, “We resorted to protest after the college declined to give us the receipt after charging an extra fee.”

If we fail to pay our tuition fee on time, the college would not hesitate to charge students an extra 18 per cent interest rate, Mishra lamented.

Meanwhile, the agitating students have demanded that they should be allowed to study in the fee recommended by the Nepal Government, refund extra fee and provide the receipts of their tuition bills.