SHILLONG: Former Congress leader and deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong on Wednesday exposed the previous Congress-led government for laying two foundation stones for the construction of Tura medial college citing the ‘excuse’ of change of guidelines by Medical Council of India (MCI).
The erstwhile Congress-led government changed the earlier site under Jewilgre and Balalgre A’king near Damalgre in West Garo Hills to the new site at Doldegre claiming that it was necessitated due to the change in MCI guidelines regarding the 10 km distance to be kept from Tura Civil Hospital.
However, Tynsong told reporters on Wednesday that the MCI guideline on the distance was already there and there were no new rules.
“The guideline that a medical college should not be located more than 10 km away from the existing hospital was nothing new and it was an old instruction,” Tynsong told reporters on Wednesday.
He pointed out that the former chief minister wanted the medical college on the way to Ampati and hence laid the foundation stone at the first venue wasting public money.
During the just concluded Assembly session, there was exchange of words between Tynsong and Mukul on the Tura medical college issue.
“The former chief minister was trying to give lecture on the matter by laying two foundation stones instead of fulfilling the promises made to the people. I objected to that since it was a question hour,” Tynsong said.
Mukul had claimed in the Assembly that it was due to politics by some people that construction of the medical college was delayed.
In this context, Tynsong said if there was politics associated with the project, Mukul should have discussed the matter in the Cabinet.
“The real issue is the old site meant for the medical college is on the way to Ampati and as a medical doctor, he is very well aware of the MCI guidelines but did not adhere to that,” Tynsong said.
When the MCI inspection team came to the old site, it had objected to setting up of the college there, Tynsong said.
The foundation stone at the old site was laid in December 2012 and later in January this year, Mukul laid the new foundation stone at Doldegre, 8 km from Tura.
