TALCHER: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday asked the State Government to give immediate permission for opening of Talcher medical college and hospital (MCH), the construction of which has already been completed.
Dedicating the academic block of the MCH, which has been named Mahanadi Institute of Medical Science and Research (MIMSR), Pradhan castigated the State Government for not extending permission to the college for Medical Council of India approval.
The Union Minister, who also graced the ground breaking ceremony of a cancer unit in MIMSR building, alleged that though the MCH has been built at a cost of `492 crore from the CSR fund of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), it is still awaiting the State Government’s certificate despite applying for the same. The State Government and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik owe an answer to the people of Talcher regarding the delay in granting permission, he said.
The MCH was envisaged with the signing of MoU between the State Government and CIL in 2014 and its construction work was completed last year. However, the State Government refused to take over the management of the college, he said.
“Talcher MCH will go a long way to cater to the healthcare needs of locals. The new cancer unit was essential for the locality,” Pradhan said.
The Union Minister also directed MCL authorities to find an alternative if the State Government failed to take over the MCH management.
Referring to the violence in Saheed Nagar police station in the Capital, Pradhan said the State cops are ineffective in controlling crime and maintaining law and order. He lambasted Talcher police for not taking action on the complaint of an MCL director who was allegedly misbehaved by a local legislator.
Stating that the district mineral fund (DMF) was created by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet the basic amenities of people, Pradhan said a whopping `900 crore under DMF is available with the district administration which hardly spends it on real cause. MCL Director OP Singh also spoke. Former MP Rudranarayan Pani was present.