Rs 1,923 cr set aside for PGI, up Rs 73 cr

Tribune News Service

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, February 1

The Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) has been allocated Rs 1,923.10 crore, which is Rs 73.10 higher than last year’s revised Budget estimates. The proposed estimates for 2023-24 were Rs 2,250 crore.

However, the allocation is 14 per cent lower than the demand of Rs 2,250 crore raised by the institute in the Budget. The highest allocation has been made for the creation of capital assets with Rs 343.10 crore. However, for the current fiscal, the PGI had sought Rs 500 crore under the head.

For the fiscal 2021-22, the total allocation stood at Rs 1,613.82 crore, which was 21.27 per cent less than what was demanded by the institute (Rs 2,050 crore).

Last fiscal, Rs 270 crore was provided in the revised Budget estimates under this head, against Rs 350 allocated in the Budget estimates (2022-23).

The grant-in-aid for salaries and Budget estimates under the grant-in-aid (general) remain the same as last fiscal i.e. Rs 1,300 crore and Rs 270 crore, respectively. A sum of Rs 10 crore has been allocated under the head “GIA (SAP)” or “grant-in-aid (Swachhta Action Plan)”.

“This is initial allocation and as per our past experience we always get required funds under supplementary grants (November/December) based on expenditure pattern and new developments (such as new recruitments, projects) during the year,” said Kumar Abhay, Financial Adviser, PGI.

Among its major projects, the PGI is in the process of constructing a high-end mother and child care centre, a neurosciences centre and satellite centres at Una and Ferozepur. The funds sanctioned under ‘creation of capital’ assets will be mainly used for setting up the mother and child care centre and the advanced neurosciences centre.

Coming up at an estimated cost of Rs 495.31 crore, the 300-bed facility at Advanced Neuroscience Centre will provide timely, affordable and advanced treatment for neurological and neuroscience disorders. The project is expected to see completion by middle of this year.

In 2021, the Rajya Sabha Parliamentary Committee had observed that the PGI had been successful in utilising maximum sum of the Budget allocated to it for some years and was still getting lesser Budget than the demand projected.

Rs 343 cr to create capital assets

• Allocation of Rs 343.10 crore has been made for creation of capital assets, against Rs 500 crore sought under the head
• PGI is in process of constructing a mother and child care centre, a neurosciences centre and satellite centres at Una and Ferozepur

Initial allocation

This is only initial allocation. We get required funds under supplementary grants (Nov/Dec) based on expenditure pattern and new developments. — Kumar Abhay, Financial Adviser, PGI

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