BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to send a proposal to the Centre for setting up of a medical college under Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) in Bhadrak district.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Pradhan said since Bhadrak does not have any tertiary medical facility, a medical college in the coastal district would be extremely helpful in providing the required health care services to people in and around the district.
Stating that PMJVK is being implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA), he requested the CM to send the proposal to the Ministry as soon as possible.
The State can forward a duly approved proposal in consultation with the Health and Family Welfare department to the MoMA for setting up the medical college under the Central scheme.
As per the scheme, the Centre will bear 60 per cent of the capital cost of the project while the rest 40 per cent will be borne by the government besides the recurring expenditure including manpower.
The Union Minister urged the CM to give necessary instructions to the authorities concerned to send a detailed proposal in this regard.
After the Centre announced to have medical colleges in all aspirational districts, Odisha has sent proposals to set up two medical colleges at Phulbani in Kandhamal and Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi.
Of 10 aspirational districts in the State, two medical colleges at Koraput and Balangir are already functional.
Pradhan has also written another letter to Union Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi seeking a hostel for minority girls studying in senior classes in schools or colleges at Bhubaneswar.
The Ministry sanctions projects under PMJVK for the minority concentration areas having minority population of more than 25 per cent and if the area is relatively backward in socio-economic and basic amenities parameters.
“Projects like girls hostels, residential schools, ITIs and skill centres in locations where students and people migrate to for better facilities for education, skill and health care should be allowed,” Pradhan said and urged to take expeditious action for making provisions to cover major cities as well as State capitals under the PMJVK scheme.