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Rangasamy vows to see college project through

PUDUCHERRY: Chief Minister N. Rangasamy made it clear on Monday that the Government was not dithering on opening its medical college. It would mobilise adequate funds for the project which, he said, would be completed in phases.

Making a statement in the Assembly, in response to a calling attention motion moved by A. Anbalagan of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, A.M.H. Nazeem, S.P. Sivakumar and R. Siva of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, K. Lakshminarayanan of the Puducherry Munnetra Congress and A. Namassivayam of the Congress, he said the Government would try to ensure that the college started functioning in the coming academic year.

If that was not possible, the Government would finish the construction work by September to obtain the Medical Council of India’s approval, so that the college would start working from the next academic year.

The Chief Minister said he had already spoken to the Union Health Minister in this regard. The construction would resume after the three-member Cabinet sub-committee, headed by the Health Minister, submitted its report. The committee should have handed in its report on April 14.

The Government would honour the ruling party’s election promise of establishing a world-class medical college to provide quality medical education to students of the Union Territory and extend quality health service to the people. He reckoned that such a college was essential as the private medical colleges in the Union Territory were inefficient.

Tracing the origin of the multi-crore government medical college project, Mr. Rangasamy said that immediately after getting the Planning Commission’s approval, the Government started doing the spade work, acquiring 13.96 hectares in 2005 , through the Education Department, and transferring it to a society headed by the Chief Secretary.

With the society’s approval, work on improving the site was taken up. Personnel, including the Director and professors required for running the first year course, were appointed. The government earmarked Rs.82 crore initially. Confusion started only when files were sent to the Finance Department for more funds.

The department sought a fresh project report from the Hospital Services Consultancy Corporation.

Though the agency had put the cost at Rs.853 crore, the Cabinet had not taken a decision. He also denied diversion of funds from other departments to the project, and any motive in choosing the site at Thattanchavadi, his home constituency.

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