Punjab govt officials meet MCI for shifting of students to other colleges

Chandigarh: Senior officials of the Punjab government met the Medical Council of India (MCI) officials to work out the modalities for shifting of students of the Chintapurni Medical College in Pathankot to other colleges.

On Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's directives, Punjab Secretary Medical Education and Research Vikas Pratap and Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences Raj Bahadur represented the state government at the meeting, an official spokesperson said.

A high-level meeting was also held with the joint secretary (medical education), government of India, he said.

Punjab health minister Brahm Mohindra said the MCI responded positively and expressed hope that the exercise of shifting the students to other medical colleges would be undertaken soon.

The meetings came days after the chief minister assured the students of the Chintpurni college of the government's support to resolve their issues and get the matter of shifting them to other colleges expedited with the MCI.

The college students had met Amarinder in Pathankot last week to seek his intervention in the matter.

The de-recognition of the Chintapurni Medical College by the MCI had jeopardised the future of the students studying in the college.

Amarinder and Mohindra had then assured the affected students that the government would take all necessary steps to safeguard their interests.

Soon after coming to power, the government had successfully rehabilitated the students of Gian Sagar group of colleges and the chief minister has assured the students of Chintpurni of similar responsiveness by his government to their woes, the spokesperson said.

Chintpurni college was owned and managed by BJP leader Swarn Salaria, now the party's candidate for the Lok Sabha bypoll in Gurdaspur.