The state government has finally settled on a site near Jolsapper for the proposed medical college in Hamirpur, which was sanctioned for the district just before the recently held general elections. When completed the college, which will be a joint venture of the central and state governments, will provide better healthcare facilities as well as offer MBBS courses.
Meanwhile, residents of Kaller village met the deputy commissioner on Monday and strongly protested against the move to shift the site of the proposed college from the village, as earlier planned, to Jolsapper.
Hamirpur chief medical officer PR Katwal said the first phase of the project will entail an estimated cost of Rs 188 crore, “Administration officials led by Hamirpur assistant DC Himanshu Shekhar Chaudhry recently visited various areas in the district and found the site located near Jolsapper on the Hamirpur-Dharamshal highway was ideal for setting up the college,” he added.
It may be mentioned here that Himachal Congress party chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhoo lobbied for the setting up the proposed college at Jolsapper, which is located in the Nadaun assembly segment of the district.
The new college will be the seventh run by the Himachal government, the other five being IGMC in Simla, Tanda Medical College in Kangra, ESI Medical College in Mandi and the three medical colleges announced by the central government.
{{/usCountry}}The new college will be the seventh run by the Himachal government, the other five being IGMC in Simla, Tanda Medical College in Kangra, ESI Medical College in Mandi and the three medical colleges announced by the central government.
{{/usCountry}}With the selection of the site, the tussle between the BJP, which is in power at the centre, and the Congress party that is ruling the state is likely to intensify. The BJP will be loathe to allow the Congress to take credit for the new medical college and is likely to make every effort to ensure the site would first have to be approved by it.