Handwara college project disrupted by flood events: Union Health Ministry to Parliament

The execution of Government Medical College (GMC) Handwara project in north Kashmir got delayed as the project suffered disruptions due to multiple flood events in 2024, Union Health Ministry informed Parliament on Tuesday.

Rajya Sabha MP Chowdry Mohammad Ramaz, who also belongs to North Kashmir, had asked the reasons for the significant delay in the execution of Government Medical College (GMC), Handwara project, particularly in comparison to GMC, Udhampur, established under the same centrally sponsored scheme.

The ministry said the fund-sharing mechanism between the Centre and state governments is in the ratio of 90:10 for North-Eastern and special category states, and 60:40 for others.

It also said under Phase-III of the scheme, Government Medical College, Handwara, was approved in 2019 at a cost of Rs 325 crore to be shared between Centre and state government in the ratio of 90:10. Out of the Central Share of Rs 292.5 crore, a total of Rs 173 crore has been released to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, the ministry said.

The ministry said as per guidelines of the scheme, the planning, execution and commissioning of the medical colleges approved under the scheme “is to be done by the concerned state/UT government.”

“As informed by the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, project suffered disruptions due to multiple flood events in 2024,” it said, adding that the ministry has extended the timeline for all the projects approved under the scheme by two years i.e. upto financial year 2027-28.