Health Minister assures completion of Malerkotla GMC before next Assembly elections

Residents are over the moon over recent developments in connection with the proposed Government Medical College to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 325 crore.

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Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh visited the latest proposed site and announced that the institute will be constructed on 38.5 acres of land and is expected to become operational before the next Punjab Assembly elections.

Online application for acquisition of land owned by Centre has been approved but the next step can be undertaken after the Punjab Government deposits Rs 48 crore as compensation.

Malerkotla MLA Jamil Ur Rahman and Amargarh MLA Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra confirmed that they have raised the matter with senior state government officials, including Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, to ensure speedy disbursal of funds and acquisition of the land.

“The earlier proposal to construct the Medical College on Raikot Road faced technical setbacks. Hower, the Health Minister has publicly committed to delivering the project before the next election,” said MLA Gajjanmajra.

The initial announcement for the Government Medical College in Malerkotla was made by then CM Capt Amarinder Singh on May 14, 2021. However, earlier attempts to acquire land from a religious trust and the Wakf Board had to be scrapped due to legal and technical complications.

Further progress on the project is now contingent on how quickly the Punjab Government fulfills its financial obligations—specifically its 40 percent share of the total project cost and the compensation required to take possession of the site for the proposed Nawab Sher Mohammad Khan Government College.