Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday ordered a “high-level” probe into the functioning of the three skill development centres set up in the government medical colleges at Amritsar, Patiala and Faridkot, after he was informed that these facilities, set up at a cost of Rs 18 crore, are lying idle.
A three-member committee, headed by principal secretary, medical education and research, Sanjay Kumar, has been tasked with conducting a “thorough” inquiry, said an official spokesperson. The others members of the committee are secretary, skill development mission, Bhawna Garg, and director of medical education and research Avnish Kumar.
The probe was necessitated by complaints that the facilities were lying vacant and there were no students, while the private companies to whom prime government land had been provided to run skill development centres are violating their contract conditions.
Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) had already invested Rs 6 crore each at the government medical colleges at Patiala, Amritsar and Faridkot for creation of infrastructure, health minister Brahm Mohindra earlier informed the CM at the 36th governing body meet of the PIMS.
Chairing the meeting, Amarinder also accepted the suggestion for implementing NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) standards in all government medical colleges and hospitals in the state. The CM said the state government was duty-bound to provide students with quality medical education to facilitate their gainful employment and nobody would be allowed to jeopardise their future.
{{/usCountry}}Chairing the meeting, Amarinder also accepted the suggestion for implementing NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) standards in all government medical colleges and hospitals in the state. The CM said the state government was duty-bound to provide students with quality medical education to facilitate their gainful employment and nobody would be allowed to jeopardise their future.
{{/usCountry}}On the issues of relaxation being sought by PIMS Medical & Education Charitable (PMEC) Society in the concession agreement, the CM directed the steering committee for a relook at the issue in the light of fresh recommendations by the Vijay Kelkar Committee on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model before seeking a legal opinion.
Amarinder also referred the matter of refund of electricity charges by PMEC Society, Jalandhar, to the steering committee headed by the chief secretary.
In other decisions taken at the meeting, ex post facto approval was given to the appointment of Dr Vimal Sikri as director of PIMS Society, besides confirmation of the minutes of the 35th governing body meeting, and ratification of proceedings of the 20th, 21st and 22nd steering committee meetings.