KANNUR: Even as Chief Minister Oommen Chandy would lay the foundation stone for a medical college in Wayanad, there is no intimation from the government over the fate of Pariyaram Medical College in Kannur.
It is a mission of the UDF government to have a medical college in all the district. However, social activists feels that when it come to Kannur district, the Oommen Chandy government is on the back foot, and has been making empty promises to people.
It’s been over one-and-a-half years since the government assured taking over of the Pariyaram Medical College. Several times, the Chief Minister openly declared in public that the medical college issue would be settled and the government would take over the college.
The posters put out by the Congress party even declared that the government had taken over the college.
However, despite the District Collector, P Balakiran, forming a committee to ascertain the college’s assets and liabilities, which were submitted in due time, the government is still pondering over the issue.
Taking over the college would mean removal of several staff, who were recruited to various posts without possessing a proper qualification.
The Pariyaram Action Committee, who have completed over 60 days of indefinite strike, believe that both CPM and Congress are fooling the people.
It is in the people’s interest to have a medical college in the district. Many patients, suffering from diseases, are forced to shell out huge sums of money at the private and cooperative hospitals run by politicians, said D Surendranath, general convenor, Pariyaram Action Committee. The take over would mean that the seats can no more be sold at huge costs. They have to be provided as per the procedure. Only those with money would be able to buy seats, while other meritorious students would be pushed out of the race, he added.
It is surprising that political parties are not bothered about an issue that would help a large section of marginalised and poor people said Surendranath.
There is no hue and cry about this, unlike with other scams. The dilly-dallying of the government in implementing the decision, which they openly declared in public, raises suspicions of a big scam, he added.
It is equal to insulting the court, which has been falsely made to believe that the college would be taken over, said the general convenor.
“All the pleas and protests to the government have fallen on deaf ears, and the Chief Minister is fooling the people by reiterating that they would take over the medical college,” he said. He said the committee is planning to carry out protests across the district and in other parts of the state. They are looking at the aspects of whether it could be handled legally.