Even though over a year has passed since an MoU signed between the State Government and the Mahanadi Coalfields ltd for establishment of a medical college and hospital at Talcher by the latter, yet the project has remained in pen and paper only.
“People of the coalmine Talcher and adjacent areas of the Angul district eagerly waiting for the proposed medical college and hospital to come up. But, there is no indication from either Government and MCl sides whether the medical college will be established or not,” lamented former MlA and social activist Bibhudhendra Pratap Das.
Notably, the concerned MoU was signed on March 3, 2014 as per which The MCl’s Mahanadi Education Trust would establish a medical college named the Mahanadi Institute of Medical Science and Research at Talchaer in Angul district. For this, the MCl applied for diversion of 8.4693 hectares of forest land, which has already been approved by the The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). latter, the Health and Family Welfare Department on March 3 this year had written a letter to the MCl CMD to inform about the status of the project.
“People want to know the status of the medical college and hospital now. Both the Government and the company should expedite work so that the people in this coal mining area, who barely need better health facilities for treatment of various infectious diseases, can at least heave a sigh of relief,” Das said.