Relay hunger strike by the students of the Sardar Rajas Medical College and Hospital at Jaring in Kalahandi district entered its second day on Wednesday.
The students have been demanding better infrastructure and filling of vacant faculty positions in the college. While the district traders’ association and other organisations of the district have lent their support to the students’ agitation, the students said they would continue the relay hunger strike till their demands are fulfilled. Moreover, the Medical College Kriyanusthan Committee of the district has threatened to take to the street demanding Government college status for this medical college.
The Medical Council of India (MCI) had approved 100 seats for the college for the 2013-14 academic session with a condition that it would meet infrastructure and staff requirements. Accordingly, the college authorities went ahead with admission to the seats. As infrastructure has not been upgraded and staff strength not increased, there is all likelihood of the MCI withdrawing its conditional approval for the MBBS seats leaving students in the lurch.
“The college has no infrastructure. There are no faculty members to teach. We have told about our grievances to the district Collector and the local MlA, but nothing has happened,” said a student leader. On April 1, 2004, an MoU was signed between the Selvam Educational and Charitable Trust and the Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) to set up the college and hospital on PPP mode. After prolonged public agitation, the construction work of the college was started. For the Rs100-crore project, it was agreed that the WODC would contribute Rs10 crore in eight instalments on the basis of progress of the work and the State Government would provide 25 acres of land on lease.
The Selvam Trust constructed a building for the college and hospital, hostels and other structures. However, the project ran into problems. The MCI representatives had visited the site twice in 2011 and once in 2012. The college failed to get MCI approval as it lacked infrastructure and staff.