Punjab cabinet approves 994 posts for new medical college in Mohali

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 6

The Punjab cabinet on Thursday approved the creation of 994 posts for teaching faculty, para-medical staff and Multi Task Workers (MTW) for the upcoming Government Medical College in Mohali.

The college will have an intake capacity of 100 MBBS students.

The cabinet, which met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, took the decision which would enable the commencement of the academic session at the college from 2020-21. 

The creation of the posts was in conformity with the minimum requirements laid down by the Medical Council of India for ‘100 MBBS seats’.

A proposal for 168 posts of Medical Teaching Faculty, 426 posts of Para-Medics and 400 posts of Class IV staff was earlier cleared by the Officers Committee headed by the Chief Secretary and the Finance Department, said a CMO spokesperson.

According to the official, the posts would be filled in a phased manner over a period of five years. The creation of these new posts would entail an additional financial burden of Rs.25 crore in the first year, which would subsequently go up to Rs. 41 crore in the fifth year.

The state government had already designated 14.01 acres of land belonging to District Hospital, Punjab Health Systems Corporation and State Health Training Institute, for the establishment of the new Medical Institute. Besides this, 9.2 acres have been acquired from the Gram Panchayat, Jhujhar Nagar. The institute will be spread over an area of 23.21 acres.

The Punjab government had submitted a Detailed Project Report to the Union government on March 27, 2018. The Union government accorded its approval to the project on June 21, 2018. The project has an estimated cost of Rs. 189 crore, which will be shared between the Centre and the state government in the ratio 60:40.

The cost initially had to be shared in a ratio of 75:25 between the two governments, but has now been changed in accordance with the NITI Aayog guidelines. The Union government has so far released Rs 102 crore out of its share of Rs 113 crore.

Capt sets deadline for completion of projects

Setting a deadline for the completion of the Punjab government’s flagship programmes within the next six months, Capt Amarinder Singh directed his cabinet colleagues to expedite the execution of the schemes. He also ordered the formation of consultative groups to review the progress and make changes if needed.