Chouhan gives nod to opening two medical colleges

Post-Vyapam, a softer and more accommodating Shivraj Singh Chouhan is emerging. The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister’s move to give nod for opening new medical colleges in Chhindwara and Shivpuri has floored his political rivals Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia of the Congress.Earlier, Chouhan was of the opinion to shift these sanctioned medical colleges to Seoni and Satna. Congress Parliamentarians Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia represent these constituencies, respectively. These are the only two constituencies out of 29 that were retained by the Congress in 2014 Parliamentary polls.

Both the senior Congress leaders, when they were Union Ministers in the UPA Government at the Centre had paved path for the medical colleges in these two towns of Madhya Pradesh. Proposals in this regard were also sent to the State Government and subsequently the land was also earmarked. However, after the BJP came to power st the Centre, the State Government did not pay any heed towards the proposals for opening medical colleges in these towns.

Chouhan gives nod to opening two medical colleges.The State Cabinet last month cleared the proposals for opening medical colleges in Khandwa and Datia towns, but no decision was taken on opening medical colleges in Chhindwara and Shivpuri.

Objecting to the move of the State Government, Scindia, in a letter to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had demanded sanction of funds for the establishment for medical college in Shivpuri.Taking reference of the sanction of funds for the establishment of medical colleges from a new paper in which funds of Rs 158.50 crore and Rs 172.21 crore for Khandwa and Datia medical colleges have been sanctioned respectively.

He had claimed that along with Shivpuri, five medical colleges in Vidisha, Shahdol, Khandwa and Datia were sanctioned in the year 2014 under the UPA -II regime and the same approved by  the then Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.However, no immediate action was taken on the letter. later, during the logjam of Parliament, the Chief Minister decided to open medical colleges in Chhindwara and Shivpuri.

Recently, Department of medical Education (DME) has sent a proposal in this regarding comprising Detailed Project Report (DPR) and MoU draft, to the Centre. On receipt of nod from Centre, the process would commence at State Government level. The Centre would spend 75 per cent of the total expenses on each medical college that costs around Rs 189 crore. The State Government would bear remaining 25 per cent expenses.

Notably, in the rally of Congress workers in Jabalpur on Friday, former Union Minister Kamal Nath cornered Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleging that Vyapam scam is the biggest scam of the country and people should know about this.