SHILLONG, DEC 14: Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma was caught on the wrong foot Friday as he chose to remain silent on a query pose by opposition leader Conrad Sangma on whether he was aware if the project management consultant appointed by the government for setting up the Shillong Medical College had any criminal records against outside the state.
The opposition leader ignited a heated debate Friday on the last day of the winter session of the assembly on the approach of the Meghalaya government to setup the Shillong Medical College in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode even as the medical college in Garo hills is a government one. Conrad also questioned the credential of the consultant appointed by the government.
As the chief minister failed to react to the supplementary question raised by him, Conrad said, “The state deserves to know and if government fails to clarify it is equivalent to fooling the people of the state.”
Conrad further said that the two different approach adopted by the Meghalaya government with regard to setting up the two medical colleges in the state-– Shillong and Tura in Garo hills (with the former through PPP and the latter as government owned college) is only making the state to lose 60 per cent of the seats to others.
Conrad said, “Government has so many ways of generating resources and yet is ready to compromise 60 per cent seats to others.”
A slightly frustrated chief minister got up and said, “This is the policy of my government because it is the best policy and we know we can do it.” He said 40 per cent seats have been reserved for the students from Meghalaya while 60 per cent seats are for students not from the state.”
Saying that the main problem faced by most medical colleges is the shortage of faculty members, the chief minister justified, “We have decided to make the Shillong Medical College in PPP mode to facilitate the state with faculty members besides infrastructures and others.”- By Our Reporter
+ There are no comments
Add yours