The Medical Education department’s decision to purchase furniture and other equipment for under construction nursing colleges has raised questions about the intent of department officials. The department has recently floated tenders worth Rs 7.25 Crore for purchase of laboratory and other equipment and furniture for nursing colleges of Chamoli, Gopeshwar, Pithoragarh and Almora. Incidentally construction work on these colleges is not complete and they are yet to be handed over by work executing agency to the Medical Education Department. It is alleged that these purchases are being done in violation of the purchase policy.
At present the Chamoli nursing college is being operated from the Tehri nursing college while Pithoragarh and Almora nursing colleges are being operated from Haldwani nursing college. Department observers are pointing out that on one hand the department regularly raises the issue of lack of budget while on other hand it is jumping the gun and purchasing furniture and equipments for the colleges which are under construction and are not under the possession of the department.
When contacted, the Director Medical Education, Dr Ashutosh Sayana defended the decision to float the tenders. He said that Uttar Pradesh Rajakeeya Nirman Nigam limited (UPRNNl) should have handed over these colleges at least a year before but it failed to meet the deadline. He said that the college of Chamoli is almost complete and a team of department is visiting it for inspection. “As we have only one batch of the students we can accommodate them in one or two blocks of new buildings,’’ he said. Dr Sayana said that there is no irregularity in the process of tender and these colleges would soon be operational in new buildings.