Ray of hope for medical college in Malerkotla

Residents of Malerkotla are upbeat following fresh developments regarding the much-anticipated Government Medical College, which is to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 325 crore. Punjab Minister for Medical Education, Research, Health and Family Welfare, Dr Balbir Singh, recently visited the newly proposed site and announced that the medical institute, to be established on 38.5 acres of land, will become operational before the next Assembly elections.

The online application for acquiring land from the Government of India has already been approved. However, further action can only proceed after the Punjab Government deposits Rs 48 crore as compensation for the land, which is currently under the ownership of the Defence Department of the Government of India.

Malerkotla MLA Jamil Ur Rahman and Amargarh MLA Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra stated that they have already taken up the matter with senior officials in the Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. They are pushing to expedite the process of taking physical possession of the land upon payment of the required compensation.

“Though the earlier proposal to construct a Government Medical College at Raikot Road faced several hiccups due to technical reasons, Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh is now closely monitoring the project. He has publicly announced that the college will be functional before the next Assembly elections,” said Gajjanmajra, who also claimed that CM Bhagwant Singh Mann has assured support in fast-tracking the process.