CPM urges govt to take over ESIC medical college

Tribune News Service

Mandi, May 3

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) today urged the state government to take over the ESIC Medical College and Hospital at Nerchowk in the district.

In a statement, CPM district secretary Bhupinder Singh said the Union Labour Ministry was planning to run the college under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

Privatisation of the college would be opposed tooth and nail by the party and other organisations, he claimed.

He urged the state government to take over the college as it was a long-pending demand of the residents of the district.

In 2008, a notification was issued to open a medical college in Mandi but the subsequent BJP Government quashed the notification.

Afterwards, protests were held for months and only after that was the ESIC Medical College shifted to Nerchowk from Baddi, Singh said.

He condemned the government for not compensating the farmers whose crops were damaged due to rain in the Dharampur area of the district last year.

Terming the inaugurations and announcements as political stunts, Singh added that Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had announced to provide free wi-fi facility in Jogindernagar, whereas drinking water was not available in several villages in the area.