Nagpur: The Maharashtra state cabinet has given approval for a PG medical college and 430-bed hospital at Nashik on Wednesday. But, two districts in Vidarbha — Amravati and Buldhana — where the demand of government medical college was being raised since long received only assurances and declaration of support through tweets by ministers.
Amravati, just like Nashik, is a divisional headquarters, and the district’s guardian minister Yashomati Thakur was quite vocal in raising the government medical college demand here. Thakur had claimed after the last meeting of state cabinet that the issue of GMC at Amravati was discussed and soon there will be a medical college at Amravati. Even Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who was in Amravati for District Planning Committee (DPC) meeting, had assured there will be a medical college in Amravati soon. But, nothing more than assurances came for the district.
On the same lines, Buldhana’s guardian minister and state FDA minister Rajendra Shingne had tweeted on February 8 that Buldhana’s medical college has been approved by state health minister. Even health minister Rajesh Tope had tweeted that his department has approved a medical college at Buldhana. However, neither Amravati nor Buldhana got cabinet approval on Wednesday.
Nashik, on the other hand, got approval as well as budgetary provision for medical college. Sources said that the influence of veteran guardian minister of Nashik Chhagan Bhujbal has played an important role in getting approval for Nashik’s medical college. Nashik Municipal Corporation also made Rs100 crore budgetary provision for the college in this year’s budget. No such provision was made in Amravati.
As per the government’s new policy, GMCs were proposed in Satara, Parbhani, Buldhana, Sindhudurg, Nashik, Nandurbar, Amravati, Osmanabad, Palghar, Alibaug and Mumbai. Out of these, Nandurbar’s medical college will start admissions from this 2021-22 academic session. Cabinet approvals have already been given for Osmanabad, Palghar, Sindhudurg and Satara medical colleges. Amravati is the only division out of six revenue divisions in Maharashtra having only two government medical colleges. All other divisions have at least four.
“In last budget, the government has approved colleges in Satara, Alibaug, Nandurbar and Amravati. It’s in process. The allegation that Amravati is not on priority list of state is baseless. Soon, we will get cabinet approval for Amravati GMCH,” said Yashomati Thakur, guardian Minister of Amravati.
Rajendra Shingne, guardian minister of Buldhana reiterated that the health department has approved medical college for Buldhana too. “Cabinet approval will follow,” he said.
A senior officer in the department of medical education and research told TOI that even after getting cabinet nod, the establishment of medical college will take at least one academic year.