Mohali to retain its medical college

MOHALI: Politicians and residents of Mohali have welcomed the Punjab government’s decision to not shift the medical college from Mohali to Sangrur. The revert on the decision comes due to the controversies that surrounded the shift.

Earlier in the month Health Minister, Brahm Mohindra was directed by the Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh to work on the possibility of the medical college shift from Mohali to Sangrur with the union government. However, the Congress leaders, besides others also questioned the state government’s move.

Elaborating on the issue, Mohindra told TOI, "The actual problem was related to land. We decided to take 3.5 acres of land from the government college, phase VI but the education department refused to say that the land was meant for a playground. We need 20 acres of land to construct a medical college, but when the land was not available, the CM asked us to explore aspects at Sangrur and as the project was also to be funded by the union government, we were also asked to seek permission to shift the college without losing the grant. But the health ministry said that the shifting would forfeit the grant and was not allowed."

Mohali, MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu who met HM Mohindra had come up with an offer of 9 acres of land near the civil hospital. Mohindra said, "MLA Balbir Sidhu offered 9 acres of Land in Jhujhar Nagar for which a resolution will be put in very soon" He added

After having successfully retained the medical college for Mohali, Sidhu said, "I went to meet Mohindra and urged that the college must not be shifted from Mohali. He said that they were facing the land problem and I offered them 9 acres of land in Jhujhar Nagar village behind the civil hospital in Phase VI, Mohali for which a resolution has already been put up in MC."

Responding to the decision taken ex-MLA, Mohali, Bir Devinder Singh told TOI, "There was certainly no tangible logic for the government to shift this proposed project to Sangrur. The decision was taken arbitrarily for extraneous reasons without the serious application of mind."

Union Health Minister, J P Nadda, in a Department Order letter written to the Punjab Government in March 2017, had asked the state to respond to how eager it was to retain the medical college in Mohali or else witness a shift.