Punjab: PGI centre to be relocated

Ferozpur: The 100-bed satellite centre of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, is being relocated to the outskirts of the town on the Ferozepur-Moga road. The administration has already initiated the move.

To be set up at a cost of Rs. 200 crore, the project has been awaiting a take off due to non-finalization of the land, ever since its approval by the UPA government at the centre in 2014. In the absence of the setting up of the satellite centre, local residents, as well as those of adjoining areas have been left with no option but to keep visiting far-flung areas like Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar for advanced medical treatment.

In 2014, despite SAD-BJP government approval to the Financial Commissioner's(development) proposal to allot 25-acre gram panchayat land at Wajidpur village, to the local horticulture department, in exchange of their land at Malwal village to the PGI( on the Ferozepur-Moga state highway), the project did not materialize.

Having been a non starter, the state authorities then decided to transfer 16-acre land of the ITI ground to the health department, situated in the heart of the town. However, that proposal failed despite consent having been given to the PGI's demand for another 5.5 acres of land for the construction of houses for doctors and other staff.

The reason for it according to sources was,"PGI authorities were not in favour of setting up its centre in a thickly populated area near the ITI. Moreover, they were skeptical of the selected site as it was located at two separate places."

"Now with the change of guard, the state government again mooted the process to relocate the land at Malwal village to tackle the issue of traffic chaos and its adverse effect on the emergency treatment," official sources revealed, pleading to remain anonymous.

"A resolution has to be approved by the panchayat of Wajidpur village to transfer its land to the horticulture department in exchange of their land to be given for the PGI centre at Malwal village ," reliable sources added.

Deputy Commissioner, Ramvir told HT, "We are at an advanced stage of acquiring the land for the PGI centre and very soon its foundation stone will be laid down."