Bhopal: Confusion over fate of proposed medical colleges

BHOPAL: In the last phase of its rule, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government was in a hurry to open at least five medical colleges in the state in 2018-19 academic session itself, but it failed to do so.

In addition to these five, the state government had got sanction for two more medical colleges at Shivpuri and Chhindwara, but it was not too keen to provide infrastructural support there.

In fact, medical colleges were proposed in the constituencies of stalwarts from both the Congress and the BJP. If colleges were proposed at chief minister Kamal Nath’s home turf Chhindwara, it was announced at Shivpuri, constituency of state Congress campaign committee chief Jyotiraditya Scindia. Besides, medical colleges were proposed at then chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s home turf Vidisha, his ministerial colleague Narottam Mishra’s constituency Datia, former BJP president Nand Kumar Chauhan’s constituency Khandwa and BJP MP Gyan Singh’s constituency, Shahdol. A controversy had erupted after the then-CM Chouhan claimed that sanction of home ministry for medical colleges at Shivpuri and Chhindwara had not been received, leading to protests by the Congress. Work on Vidisha, Datia and Khandwa medical colleges was almost complete and then government was pushing to open the colleges in the academic session 2018-19 itself, but failed.

Congress “Vachan Patra”, however, promises to open only four new medical colleges in the state. Would the Congress government, wish to “discard” three medical colleges, the BJP government was seeking to open at the earliest. When asked, Congress leaders, didn’t seem to be clear on the issue. “I am not fully aware of the issue but it must be in addition to seven medical colleges proposed during BJP regime”, said Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi.

A directorate of medical college official, however, said: “Providing adequate infrastructure to 11 new medical colleges in the state is virtually impossible. Recruitments are still being made in colleges that were proposed during BJP regime. You know the manpower crunch in the field of medical education. I don’t think Congress government can open 11 medical colleges even if it has no political vendetta in mind”.