Kalpana Chawla medical university to be constructed in Karnal, says CM

Parveen Arora

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Tribune News Service

Karnal, December 13

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said today that a medical university named after Kalpana Chawla would be constructed at Kutail village, 12 km from here.

He made the announcement in Chandigarh during a review meeting on the construction of Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College (KCGMC) in Karnal. Khattar directed to widen the road adjoining the KCGMC to solve the problem of traffic congestion.

The Kutail gram panchayat will offer 100-acre land for the university to the Haryana Government free of cost. The KCGMC director will design a concept paper on the upcoming university within a month.

The district BJP unit has welcomed the government’s decision. Ashok Sukhija, district BJP president, said the Khattar had fulfilled his pre-poll promise. 

“The Chief Minister promised that he will glorify the name of Kalpana Chawla and build an international-level institute after her name in the district. The decision will pave way for medical education in the state,” he told the media here.

Gharaunda legislator Harvinder Kalyan said the Chief Minister had chosen a site in his constituency and it was an honour for me. “Various medical, nursing and dental colleges will be affiliated to the university. The project will benefit students of several districts,” he said.

At least one medical college with 200 seats, a 750 to 1,000-bed hospital, a dental college and some medical institutes would be set up in the university in coordination with the Centre, the MLA said, adding that the university would be completed in four to five years.

As for the KCGMC, Sukhija said Khattar had asked officials to speed up the work and complete it as per schedule. “The college with 100 seats will be started from the 2016-17 session,” Sukhija said, adding that Rs 645 crore would be incurred in the KCGMC and Rs 143 crore had already been spent on it.

Minister of State for Food and Supplies Karandev Kamboj, Assandh MLA Bakshish Singh, Nilokehri MLA Bhagwan Dass Kabirpanthi, district vice-president Deepak Dhawan, and other party workers were present at the press meet.