Chennai, May 8 (IANS): AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Panneerselvam (OPS) has opposed the decision of Anna University to hike the fee for getting duplicate certificates and marksheets.

In a statement on Sunday, the AIADMK leader urged Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin to consider Anna University's decision to hike the fee.

The former Chief Minister pointed out that Anna University has increased the fee for getting duplicate marklists by 10 times from Rs 300 to Rs 3,000 from May 1 onwards.

The fee for getting a duplicate degree certificate is increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 and to get it a second time the fee is hiked from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000.

OPS in the statement said, "It is well known that most of the students are from poor and middle-class backgrounds and that they are continuing their higher education with bank loans. It is not acceptable that an additional burden is inflicted on students who are struggling to pay their fees."

The former Chief Minister said that there are media reports that following his intervention the hike in fees in Bharathidasan university was withdrawn.

He said that such high fee hikes are probably the most important achievements of the one year old DMK government and said that the AIADMK will relentlessly take up the issues of the common people.