Minister slams Jagan over medical college claims
Vijayawada: Health minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav on Wednesday strongly criticised former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in the Assembly over alleged misinformation regarding the construction of 17 new government medical colleges.
Responding to questions raised by members, the minister stated that while Rs 8,480 crore was sanctioned for the 17 colleges, only Rs 1,550 crore was spent over four years by the previous government. “Spending just 18 paise out of every rupee and claiming that 17 colleges were built is misleading the public,” he said, citing official records.
The minister announced that the coalition government has decided to complete 10 of the colleges in two phases under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. In the first phase, colleges at Adoni, Madanapalle, Markapuram and Pulivendula will be taken up, followed by Parvathipuram, Narsipatnam, Palakollu, Amalapuram, Bapatla and Penugonda in the second phase. The Centre has also come forward to provide viability gap funding support.
Under the PPP model, 610 additional MBBS seats and 1,050 extra hospital beds will be created. Instead of 420 beds for 100 seats as proposed earlier, the new plan envisages 625 beds for 150 seats per college. The minister added that 110 seats will be available under the convener quota for poor students, and 70% of beds in affiliated hospitals will provide free treatment.
The minister alleged that the previous government disproportionately favoured Pulivendula, spending Rs 400 crore there out of Rs 631 crore spent on 10 colleges, while neglecting others. He pointed out minimal expenditure in colleges such as Narsipatnam and Palakollu, and even lack of land acquisition in Parvathipuram.
He also criticised the steep fee hikes in 50 percent of MBBS seats in government colleges under the self-financing model, equating them with private institutions. Despite electoral setbacks reducing the YSRCP to 11 seats, he remarked that there has been no change in the former chief minister’s approach.
