Hyderabad: BRS senior leader and former minister T Harish Rao on Wednesday criticised Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for announcing ambitious projects under Vision 2047 and Future City but ignores to provide basic infrastructure at medical colleges in the state.
Harish Rao, along with former minister Sabitha Indra Reddy and other BRS leaders, visited the protest camp of Maheshwaram Government Medical College students, who have been protesting for the past three days at Mangalpally over the lack of basic facilities.
While speaking to students, he said, “I feel deeply pained seeing the condition of the medical college, where our future doctors study. Even government schools in remote areas are not this bad.”
He alleged that the college lacked drinking water, washrooms, laboratories, a library and hostel accommodation and looked like cattle shed.
“Chief Minister Revanth Reddy makes grand statements claiming that he is not competing with neighbouring states but with countries such as the United States, China and Singapore. But when we look at the plight of these future doctors, it seems he is competing not with America or China but with Sri Lanka and Nepal. Perhaps even those countries do not have such poor conditions,” Rao said.
Citing a letter reportedly written by the owner of the building housing the college, Harish Rao alleged that the government had failed to pay rent, electricity and water bills for 26 months after taking possession of the premises on August 1, 2024. He claimed that the non-payment had resulted in the owner discontinuing maintenance of the building.
He alleged that third-year students were attending classes in a building without an occupancy certificate, fire safety clearance, pollution control board clearance, water and electricity meters or a drinking water tank.
Harish Rao also referred to a letter reportedly written by the college principal to the government highlighting garbage and scrap material on the premises and the presence of snakes, stray dogs, pigs and monkeys in the surroundings.
He questioned how the government could operate a medical college without the required clearances and demanded an explanation from the Chief Minister and health minister Damodar Rajanarasimha.
Referring to transport difficulties, Harish Rao said the college was located two kilometres from the main road and alleged that students were being forced to walk the distance as buses and private vehicles were not permitted inside the premises.
He said a bus service introduced following his earlier intervention had been discontinued after a few days.
Harish Rao said the students had protested in January and twice thereafter, besides submitting representations to the district collector, college principal and director of medical education (DME). He said their parents had also met the health minister, but their grievances remained unresolved.
Recalling the previous BRS government's initiatives, Harish Rao said the Sabhitha has granted 25 acres of government land beside the highway for the college in 2022-23. He said the then government had sanctioned Rs 182 crore for college and hostel buildings and approved a 400-bed hospital.
He alleged that the Congress government had shifted the college project to deny former minister Sabitha Indra Reddy credit for its establishment. He claimed that the government had neither finalised a site nor invited tenders for the permanent buildings.
Harish Rao said he had spoken to DME Vanidevi, who informed him that the government was yet to decide on the location of the permanent campus.
He also criticised delays in completing the Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) hospitals and Warangal Health City project. He alleged that Sanathnagar TIMS was providing only outpatient services, while construction of LB Nagar TIMS, where Maheshwaram Medical College students were expected to undergo clinical training, was progressing slowly.
Harish Rao demanded that the government relocate the college within two months to a government-owned or rented building with adequate infrastructure, preferably near Vanasthalipuram or LB Nagar TIMS.
He sought an immediate written assurance on relocation and demanded drinking water, washrooms and bus transport until alternative accommodation was arranged. He also called for buses and students' private vehicles to be allowed into the campus.
Harish Rao said the BRS would continue supporting the students and, if necessary, raise their grievances in the Assembly until the issues were resolved.