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Uproar in Assembly on medical college issue

PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry Assembly witnessed uproarious scenes on Monday as members belonging to the Communist Party of India and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam raised objections to Welfare Minister M. Kandasamy’s remark on the circumstances under which the three-member Group of Ministers (GoM) was formed to go into the government medical college issue.

As members of the DMK, the CPI, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Pattali Makkal Katchi questioned why the government decided to form the ministerial panel on the issue, Mr. Kandasamy intervened to say that it was necessitated as the Health Minister was not apprised of the developments in the project.

Close on the heels of Mr. Kandasamy’s remark, R. Viswanathan (CPI) raised a point of order that the Minister had violated the oath of secrecy by revealing what had transpired at the Cabinet meeting. V.M.C.Sivakumar (DMK) also supported the CPI MLA’s view and asked if the UT had a cohesive Ministry.

Even as Mr. Kandasamy tried to justify his stand on the issue, Speaker R. Radhakrishnan said the Minister should not express his personal views on the issue.

Mr. Anbalagan and another AIADMK MLA Om Sakthi Sekar staged a walkout on the ground that the party was not given more time for expressing its views on the issue.

Leader of the Opposition A.M.H. Nazeem pleaded for the dissolution of the three-member panel and the formation of a fresh one, chaired by the Speaker. His view was supported by DMK Members S.P. Sivakumar and V.M.C. Sivakumar and Mr.Viswanathan.

Leader of the Puducherry Munnetra Congress K. Lakshminarayanan asked the government to conduct a probe into the issue, as there had been allegations of irregularities.

R. Siva (DMK) said the project had been shelved owing to infighting in the Cabinet. Mr. Viswanathan, Mr.S.P. Sivakumar, R. Rajaraman (DMK), R.K.R. Anantharaman (Pattali Makkal Katchi) and A. Namassivayam (Congress) asked the government to clarify if there was a move to hand over the project to the private sector. They said the college should be in the government sector only.

Mr. S.P.Sivakumar asked why the committee had not submitted its report within the stipulated time of two months. The delay had deprived the students in the UT of an opportunity to join the medical course in the coming academic year itself.

Intervening, Health Minister E. Valsaraj said the GoM was constituted only as per the decision of the Cabinet and his name was recommended by the Chief Minister.

He also clarified that the GoM was formed to look into the issues pertaining to the setting up of the medical college, expenditure incurred, detailed project report prepared by the Hospital Services Consultancy Corporation and to suggest viable options for completion of the project.

The panel had sought the opinion of technical experts of the Central Vigilance Commission, he added.

N. Kalainathan (CPI), who raised the issue on the Assembly resolution on cancellation of the common entrance test, asked the government to recommend the Lieutenant Governor to issue an ordinance. The move would go a long way in putting an end to the confusion prevailing among students and parents, he said.

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