VISAKHAPATNAM: Legislative Council Opposition Leader and former minister Botcha Satyanarayana has slammed the State government’s move to privatise medical colleges, warning that it would harm poor students and weaken public health services.
Addressing the media in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, Botcha said Andhra Pradesh was the only State pursuing such a policy, aimed at favouring a few instead of serving the public. He announced that the YSR Congress Party would stage protests on September 9 at RDO offices, demanding that the proposal be withdrawn.
He noted that while the government had borrowed Rs 2 lakh crore in 14 months, it failed to provide Rs 6,000 crore needed for strengthening medical colleges. He alleged that public institutions were being handed over to private players under the PPP model.
Recalling the YSRCP government’s efforts, he said 17 new government medical colleges were sanctioned, with five already functional. On agriculture, Botcha said farmers were hit by urea shortage and were being threatened with cases instead of assistance.