Govt in talks with two firms for medical college project

SHILLONG, Sep 12: The state government is holding consultations with two private parties for establishment of the Shillong Medical College and Hospital (SMCH), Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma told the Assembly on Monday. Replying to the pending motion moved by Mawlai MLA PT Sawkmie to discuss the preparation of a good policy and programme for the overall development of the state on the attainment of 50 years of Statehood, the CM said: “Nothing had moved with the KPC group till 2022 for multiple reasons including land issues. We felt that this matter could not be resolved and we cancelled the agreement.” The state government is exploring the opportunity of going for PPP mode with other agencies which have proven track records, he said. Stating that it was too premature to talk about those agencies, he said that discussions were on with a couple of them. “We expect a positive outcome out of this very soon,” Sangma said. The CM also explained that the government was pushing for a construction of the SMCH on a public-private-partnership mode since the investment will be borne by the private party while the state government will only provide the land on a long-term lease. Also, running a medical college is a tough job for the government, he pointed out. Earlier, Sawkmie while moving the pending motion had urged the state government to take measures to ensure that the SMCH turns into a reality. He mentioned that the construction of the Tura Medical College was in progress whereas the SMCH was yet to see the light of the day.