SHILLONG, Aug 19: Former Health Minister AL Hek on Friday said it is due to the state government’s lack of will that the Shillong Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) project has not come up yet.
“I feel very sad to hear about the Shillong Medical College. I was holding the Health portfolio for two terms and I had put all efforts to see that the project sees the light of the day. But till today, I have not seen the light at the end of the tunnel,” Hek said.
He said the frequent change of decision will only affect the public.
“It is due to the lack of will on the part of the government that we could not make concrete decisions on this project. Today we take one decision and tomorrow another. Due to this, the public is suffering and the project is delayed,” the BJP leader said.
The government seems to have shelved its plans to construct the project at Umsawli after realising that the site is not large enough for a decent medical college.
Nearly a decade ago, the government had laid the foundation for the SMCH at TB Hospital in Mawbah. However in 2018, it decided to shift the location to Umsawli. The government’s latest position is likely to further delay the project.
However, Health Minister James Sangma recently said the government does not want to come up with a medical college that will be a failure even before it starts functioning. He said this is the reason why the government is in the process of identifying a new site for the project.
The government has already scrapped its agreement with Kolkata-based firm Kali Pradip Chaudhuri Group. It was assigned the task of building and running the proposed infrastructure.
Hek took a dig at the government over its move to open a casino in Ri-Bhoi district. On the occasion of 50 years of statehood, the government should have given a stadium to Ri-Bhoi which is an aspirational district but it is being given a casino, he said.
The government’s plan has been criticized by residents and civil society groups in the state.
Meanwhile, the state government has nominated Assistant Commissioner of Taxes Vember Roosan Challam as the nodal officer for the Meghalaya Gaming Commission.
