PGI gets 22% less than its demand

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 1

The Central Government has sanctioned 22 per cent less of what was demanded by the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, in Budget 2021.

Against its demand of Rs 2,050 crore, the institute has been allocated Rs 1,613.82 crore in the Budget.

However, the share is about 13 per cent more than the budget allocated in the previous fiscal. An additional grant of Rs 385 crore was received by the institute under the revised budget of the fiscal 2020-21.

Last year, the Rajya Sabha Parliamentary Committee was informed that a demand of Rs 2,150 crore was made by the institute for the financial year 2020-21. However, a fund worth Rs 1426.53 crore was allocated to the institute.

The committee observed that in the past years, the PGI had been successful in utilising a maximum of the budget allocation.

The committee had stated it was unable to comprehend the reason for the lower allocation of budget to the Institute.

“The PGI being the leading tertiary care hospital of the region and catering to patients from all over Punjab, J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, a shortage of funds should not affect the services provided by the institute. The committee, therefore, recommends a higher allocation of budget to the institute so that it is able to excel in providing healthcare services to people,” the committee had remarked.

About 75% of the allocated budget will be for payment of salaries to the employees, followed by 15% for capital assets and 10% for general expenditure.

Under the “creation of capital assets” head, the institute had sought a grant-in-aid of Rs 425 crore, but got only Rs 253.82 crore.

Among its major projects, the PGI is in the process of constructing a high-end Mother and Child Care Centre, a Neurosciences Centre and a 300-bed hospital at the satellite centre in neighbouring states.

Dr Jagat Ram, Director, PGIMER, said the institute would get an extra grant for the various initiatives underway at the institute.

Financial adviser of the PGI Kumar Abhay said the budget won’t be impacting the projects as of now.

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