SHILLONG: The hurdles pertaining to the construction of long delayed Shillong Medical College finally seem to be clearing now as the KPC group is looking to begin the construction of the project by the end of March or first week of April.
An official of the KPC group, while talking to The Shillong Times, said that the new agreement for the project is due and the entire process will be over in March. “We are hoping that the construction work for the dream project of Shillong would begin by March end or April first week,” the official said.
When asked about the delay in the project, the official said that the KPC is nobody to question the government for the delay.
Initially, Meghalaya government had decided to construct the Medical College in Reid Chest Hospital in Jhalupara but later, the government decided to shift the project to Umsawli.
When contacted, Health Minister, AL Hek said that the department has to hold a bit of negotiation after which the land would be handed over to the KPC group for the construction of the project.
Former chief minister Mukul Sangma had in 2017 laid the foundation stone for the state’s first medical college in the existing Reid Chest Hospital in Jhalupara, five years after the MoU was signed.
The initial project cost was Rs 250 crore but it will be escalated to around Rs 350-400 crore since the project has been delayed for long. The state government would hand over at least 20 acres of land to the group for construction of the medical college based on the norms of Medical Council of India.
Sources said that the medical college is the need of the hour in Meghalaya as even after 48 years of statehood, the state does not have its own medical college.
Tura medical college
On the other hand, work for the Tura medical college is on though it faces several challenges sometimes.
Officials said that since the location of the medical college is quite remote, issues keep on emerging and West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner is in constant touch with the implementing agency to ensure that the hurdles are cleared and work does not get affected.
It was also informed that various segments of the project, including administrative building, boys and girls hostels besides the fencing work of the project, are going on.
As of now, the construction, which began last year, is scheduled to be completed within three years as per the timeline.
The Centre had sanctioned Rs 189 crore for the medical college and the state government has requested for a revised estimate of Rs 244 crore.
The college with 100 seats will come up on 100 acres at Doldegre, 8 kms from Tura in West Garo Hills.
