Thiruvananthapuram : The expert committee appointed by the Government to prepare a project report for the establishment of a medical university in Kerala has recommended that the proposed university start functioning by January 2008 so as to become full-fledged by December 2010.

The six-member team headed by B. Ekbal, former Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University, submitted its report to Kerala Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy here on Saturday on the occasion of the World Health Day.

The committee proposed a budget of Rs. 6 crore for the first phase of the project. It suggested that the Government take steps to ensure the establishment of the university in the current financial year itself, utilising the amount of Rs. 3 crore that had already been allocated for the purpose in the State budget for 2007-08. The Government should select the location of the university by next month and get the approval from the Assembly by July.

As per manifesto

Addressing presspersons, Ms. Sreemathy said the project report would be presented to Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and submitted before the Cabinet for a final decision. Setting up of a medical university was one of the prominent items in the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) election manifesto and the Government was committed to the implementation of the project, she said.

Dr. Ekbal said that a high-level committee headed by the Chief Minister should be set up to monitor the various processes for the establishment of the university.

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