Students’ medical fee fund allegedly diverted for AC purchase at Jammu University health centre

Questions are being raised over the alleged diversion of students’ medical fee contributions at the University of Jammu after the Health Centre initiated the purchase of new air conditioners from its local fund, despite claims that the fund largely comprises fees collected from students for medical assistance. The step is also violative of the government’s recent austerity orders.

Sources claimed that over 99 per cent of the Health Centre’s local fund originates from the medical assistance fee paid by students at the time of admission, and alleged that the fund is being spent on purchasing ACs instead of student welfare activities such as medical camps, health awareness programmes and emergency medical support.

It is learnt that recently, the name of this fund has been changed from Medical Assistance Fees to Local Fund of the Health Centre.

All the departments of the University Health Centre, including the rooms of the medical doctors, dental room, blood laboratory already have ACs in working order. The physiotherapy section do not require AC, since  the treatments are heat therapy based and no cooling is required which can hamper the treatment.

The Finance department , Govt. of J&K on 22.05.2026, vide Government Order No. 198 F of 2026, issued economy and austerity measures for rationalization of the Expenditure. In which it was clearly stated that that the Local Funds available with various departments, Universities, authorities, boards, corporation, and agencies shall also be governed by these austerity measures.

The health centre of the Jammu University allegedly violated this Govt. order and continued with the process of purchasing the ACs, which are not at all the priority as all the major departments of health centre already have working ACs.

Since the amount of this local fund comprises mostly by the Medical Assistance fees collected from the students, therefore, it is meant to be utilised for the welfare of the students, organising health camps, awareness lectures, support to students during medical emergencies. But purchasing ACs out of this local fund and when the Government of J&K has already ordered austerity measures for rationalization of the Expenditure, it seems as if the University is above all the orders of the J&K Government.