Uncertainty shrouds fate of medical college at Balangir

The Pioneer, Oct 24, 2007

At a review meeting held in the capital on Monday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed dissatisfaction over the inordinate delays found in the construction works for the medical college and hospital at Balangir by Balaji Education Trust even after the State Government has provided 25 acres of land to the trust for the purpose.

The State Government has issued a notice to the trust to clarify its stand for the hospital within 15 days.

Sources said that Balaji Education Trust had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the State Government for establishing a medical college and hospital with the capacity of 300 beds at Balangir.

The medical college and hospital was to be made with an expenditure of Rs 200 crore on July 6, 2006.

The Government had also signed MoU with two other private companies to set up another two medical colleges, one each at Rourkela and Bhawanipatna.

While the construction work for the medical college of 300 bed capacity at Jaring of Bhawanipatna by Sardar Raja Education Trust has already started with an expenditure of Rs 15 crore, the State Government has provided Rs 4 crore to it.

It is expected that the construction work would be finished in 2007-08 and from 2008-09, enrolment of students would also take place with due permission from the Sambalpur University.