Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said that the NEET and JEE exams should be held as per their schedule so that one year of students does not go wasted.
Various opposition parties, including the Congress, have demanded that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) be deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic and floods in parts of the country, even as the Union government has made it clear that they will be held as per schedule with due precautions.
When asked about it, Chouhan said, "NEET-JEE is not a subject of politics, but it is linked to the future of students."
"NEET and JEE should be held as per their schedule so that a year of the students, who have been preparing for these examinations, does not get wasted," the chief minister said.
He was talking to reporters here after dedicating a super speciality government hospital, constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 237 crore.
On the complaints made by people about private hospitals overcharging for COVID-19 treatment, Chouhan said, "I have directed the district administration to fix appropriate rates for the private hospitals that are treating coronavirus patients."
He said that if any hospital is found charging more than the fixed rates, stern action will be taken against it.
On soybean crop getting damaged due to heavy rains and insect attack, and former CM Kamal Nath forming a group of senior Congress leaders over the issue, Chouhan said, "It is an attempt to fool farmers."
"It is just a drama. When he was the chief minister, he never went to the fields to assess the crop damage and to know the farmers' well-being," he alleged.
Chouhan also accused the Congress of projecting false statistics on farm loan waiver during Kamal Nath's rule.
He said that the state government has now suspended the recovery of inflated power bills of domestic consumers.
"They will only have to pay the bill of September month. The government will take appropriate decision on the remaining amount after examining the matter," he said.
