HYDERABAD: Telangana would have been able to offer 111 more post-graduate (PG) medical seats across its three medical colleges under a Central government scheme, if the State government had released its share of amount for the scheme.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the general and social sector pointed out that the Centre had released Rs 23.5 crore in October 2011, and another Rs 17.19 crore in September 2018 to implement a scheme envisaged for "strengthening/upgradation of State government medical colleges for starting PG courses/increasing seats in PG courses".
Even though a total of Rs 40.76 crore was released by the GoI, the State government did not release its share of Rs 25.09 crore, as the scheme was to be jointly funded by both the government, in a 60:40 ratio. The funds, jointly allocated by the Centre and the State, was earmarked for infrastructure facilities, to commensurate with the increase in PG seats in Osmania, Gandhi and Kakatiya Medical Colleges.
The CAG report also mentioned that the three medical colleges failed to spend the complete amount released by Centre as well. As per the report, the colleges spent only Rs 14.61 crore, or 36 per cent of the money released. With the money used by the three medical colleges, the number of PG medical seats were increased by 168, instead of the targeted 279, due to laxity of the State government.