SHILLONG, Sep 15: NCP legislator Saleng A Sangma claimed he has received a report that 17 members of an unknown militant group are using the site of Tura Medical College as a hideout.
Raising the issue in the Assembly on Thursday, he asked the government if it has any intelligence about it.
“When such an important project is left unattended, it becomes a safe place or hideout for criminal activities. I would like to ask the minister if he received any such information,” the MLA said.
“I am not talking only about this medical college as there is also a residential school in my constituency which is inside a jungle. We must ensure that this uncompleted infrastructure doesn’t become a den of criminals,” Sangma said.
In his reply, Health Minister James PK Sangma said the government has not received any such report. He said he will share the inputs with the Home department so it can conduct a probe.
Sangma said a committee, headed by the Health secretary, is monitoring the progress of the Tura medical college construction.
He said the project’s physical progress is 33% while the financial progress is 17%. He said the initial deadline to complete it was January 22, 2021.
“Construction was affected due to various reasons. The Covid-19 pandemic affected not just the construction process of the Tura Medical College but so many other sectors,” Sangma said.
He said an extension till February 7, 2023 has been given to the construction companies as sought.
“Let me assure that it is the sincere endeavour of this government to complete this project,” he said.
To a supplementary question raised by Trinamool Congress MLA Zenith M Sangma, the Health minister said the total project cost is Rs 243.82 crore, adding that government of India has released Rs 172 crore.
“So far, Rs 41 crore has been spent and this comes to 17% of physical progress,” he explained.
Replying to Zenith’s another query as to when the first session of the MBBS course can be expected to start, Sangma said there are still many challenges and it will be wrong on his part to specify any date.
“I can only assure that we are working very hard to see that this project is completed as early as possible,” he added.
