United Kingdom offers support to Haryana to set up medical colleges

Chandigarh: UK has offered technical support and cooperation to Haryana to set up medical colleges, training of paramedics and other supporting staff posted in government hospitals in the state.

British High Commissioner Sir Dominic Asquith, who held a meeting with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here today also evinced keen interest in mutual collaboration in other key areas of Smart city project, aero-space, defence skill education, health care, agro-industries, textile, bio-energy and food processing.

He said that UK could lend its support in raising infrastructure of these colleges and also in introducing training programmes for paramedics and other supporting staff posted in government hospitals.

"Apart from this, it could also share its expertise with Haryana in the field of primary health care," Khattar said.

Referring to the offer made by the High Commissioner to introduce English training programmes in Haryana, the CM appreciated this, saying that the State government would look forward to implement it in selected government schools on pilot basis.

Dominic Asquith informed Khattar that British Council, Chandigarh was already running various English training programmes for teachers and students to further enhance their skills.

Referring to the Smart City project of central government, Khattar said that two cities of Haryana--Karnal and Faridabad--have been selected in the list of 100 cities to be developed as Smart Cities in the country.

He said though Gurgaon could not find place in the list of Smart Cities, yet it would be developed as a smart city for which funds would be provided by the State government.

The High Commissioner said that it could be a good opportunity for British companies having specialisation in project design management to partner Haryana in developing such cities, the release quoting him said.

It was informed in the meeting that keeping in view the space crunch in Delhi for government buildings including embassies of various foreign countries, two towers namely India Tower and International Tower were proposed to be constructed in the Global City being developed in Gurgaon.