Power major National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC) is likely to sign an MoU with State Government shortly to set up the proposed medical college and hospital (MCH) at Sundargarh town.
In spite of the health administration’s plan to kick-start the academic session from 2016-17, the problem over land acquisition may delay the project.
Sources said the MCH proposal mooted three years back could not make much headway till recently for various technical reasons. The MCH proposal is linked to NTPC’s upcoming 3200 MW Darlipali Super Thermal Power Plant (STPP). After Sundargarh administration handed over 80 per cent of land for the STPP, it paved the way for the MCH.
A high-level meeting held at Bhubaneswar on October 3 settled NTPC’s reservation as the Health Department agreed to run the MCH. There is a delay in signing the MoU due to recent cyclone and flood and declaration of urban election in western districts including Sundargarh.
A senior NTPC official said the power major does not have technical expertise to run the MCH and therefore it was finally agreed that NTPC would bear all costs to set up building infrastructure and equipment. He said after the MoU is signed, a global tender would be floated.
Earlier, the NTPC had announced that the MCH would have 400 beds and subsequently 100 more beds would be added. The NTPC has already funded `10 crore for addition of 100 beds at the Sundargarh District Headquarter Hospital (SDHH). The new facility is likely to have 300 beds with an investment of around `400 crores.
District administration has earmarked government land of 25 acres at Luhuradhipa. But, encroachment is a major concern. Administrative sources said around 35 encroachment cases involving 10 to 15 tribal families are pending.
Sundargarh Collector Bhupinder Singh Punia hoped for early acquisition of required land and said deserving families would be adequately rehabilitated.
The Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) of Sundargarh Basant Nayak said if everything goes on the expected lines, the infrastructure would be ready in two years and 100 medical students would be admitted during 2016-17 academic year.