Army’s takeover of Srinagar medical college likely soon: Defence minister
Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said her ministry will consider the Uttarakhand government’s proposal made to the army to take over the administration of Government Medical College in Srinagar
dehradun Updated: Mar 25, 2018 21:27 IST
Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said her ministry will consider the Uttarakhand government’s proposal made to the army to take over the administration of Government Medical College in Srinagar.
The minister, on a lighter note, said she has no option but to say yes (for proposal) after the army chief and chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat have already decided to visit Srinagar.
“The state deserves it...It will be great if a command hospital is planned to serve the people, ex-servicemen and their families in the upper regions of the hills with much advance medical facilities. The defence ministry will do everything possible in this regard,” she said.
It is learnt that army chief Gen Bipin Rawat visited Srinagar Garhwal on Sunday. The chief minister also accompanied him after attending Sitharaman’s programme.
The defence minister was in Dehradun to attend a felicitation ceremony of applicants from Uttarakhand who have been selected in the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy.
The state government has issued cheques worth ₹50,000 to each of them. The event was organised at the chief minister’s residence and also attended by army chief General Bipin Rawat, among others.
Last week, during his Dehradun visit, the army chief had said, “The proposal (of taking over the medical college) is being deliberated upon. Army cannot take over the hospital’s administration in the present form. Some changes need to be made. We are in talks with the state government on this issue and things will be worked out.”
Last year, the state government approached the army to take over the administration of GMC in Srinagar, stating that this will boost the quality of medical facilities in the region.
The move, however, could not be materialised as the Centre did not show much interest in it.
Recently, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said he would again pursue the proposal and hold fresh talks with the army chief and the Centre on this.