12 years since initial work started; Balangir medical college project has very little progress
March 25th, 2011
Following is from an article in Times of India.
Twelve years down the line since its establishment, the foundation structure of Balangir Medical College looks like an abandoned cemetery overridden with bushes and weeds. It was erected, if officials are to be believed, at a cost of Rs 27 lakh. The medical college was proposed by the Western Orissa Development Council (WODC) and was mooted in 1999 by the then chairman of the council, Narasingh Mishra. With WODC investing the money to establish the college, it was supposed to be owned by the government.
But work on the structure came to a halt in the year 2000 when Naveen Pattnaik came to power. …
"If at all the Balangir medical college is set up, it should be a government-owned college and not a private college because the poor people in this region can’t afford the health services to be offered by a private party," said Mishra. He further said he recently had a discussion with the Union minister of health, Vilasrao Deshmukh, who promised to take necessary steps to see that medical college is set up in Balangir soon.
… Interestingly, the WODC last year had signed an MoU with Pondicherry-based Balaji Trust to take up the project, but the work didn’t progress. This is the third time the state government has signed an MoU for Balangir Medical College. Earlier, it had entered into an agreement with Hyderabad-based GSL Trust and Gaziabad-based Jassore Dental, Medical Education Health Foundation. After delay in the start of work, the MoU was cancelled and RVS Educational Trust was selected as the private sponsor. The trust expressed its inability to execute the project on February 17, 2010.
The earlier two agencies were reluctant to start the project citing non-cooperation by the WODC. Later, the new chairman, however, promised that the college would have 50 per cent management seats and 50 per cent government seats, with a certain percentage reserved for local students. However, he couldn’t explain why the progress was so slow and why it was being entrusted to a private party.
"At present, there is no one expressing interest in constructing the medical college. Its status remains in a state of embargo and no further decision in this regard has been taken," said Niranjan Panda, present WODC chairman.
Entry Filed under: Balangir-Titlagarh area,Medical College, Balangir
2 Writeup
1. Purna Mishra | March 28th, 2011 at 1:44 am
No one is serious about a medical college in Bolangir. There is no scope for a private medical college either in Kalahandi or Bolangir. There is hardly any decent medical infrastructure in that part of Odisha. Western Odisha is in the grips of Sickle Cell Anemia (it is called louha sikuli in Odia) and a significant portion of the population is under this grip. Odisha government could not address this challenge by following government rules and regulations alone. The government must think for a change in approach.
Before we visit Bolangir, let us see the plight of the medical college at Burla. Faculties on payroll from Burla are working out of Cuttack. Creating a health university will not solve this problem. Odisha government should put the VSS medical college under Veer Surendra Sai Technical university which is a state university by amending the charter. That way the people could not move out other than resigning and let the people who want pay and promotion out of VSS quota be at VSS. This way VSS university will be a better state university like Andhra University and might be some day if done correctly could be updated with Central assistance. This is only way to save VSS medical college.
Now back to Bolangir and Kalhandi, the state should take over both and build it as state medical college built with state money, capital and operating budget to be funded by state but will be put under WODC. That way the faculties hired for these two medical college could not be transferred to Cuttack or Berhampur Odisha needs more state medical colleges. In addition to these two, the state should build another government medical college either in Keonjhar or Mayurbhanj or Balasore.
Odisha government needs change in her thinking. Our ministers and big fished like Mr. Ghadei could get world class healthcare in Singapore. What about the ordinary regular people? Where would they get medical care if there are no doctors. Homeopathy and Kaviraji or Ujnnani medical colleges are not the solution nor hiring doctors on a contract basis. Providing a good infrastructure is state’s responsibility and the state has not met her responsibility. It serves no one by blaming the center for lack our ability to solve our own problem.
No one should die from Sickle Cell Anemia in 21st century. The people from Bolangir and Kalahandi have to share their lack of characters. They are easily be bribed by people of special interests either to sell their votes or to stand on the street and kick on their rice bowl by saying they do not want Vedanta.
Again we are here because we prefer to wear gamucha and work in brick kilns in Andhra rather than welcoming industry that would offer a better and more decent job in the backyard. We elect people who could give us a bigger mohuli bottle the day before the election. So stay their and suffer from Sickle Cell Anemia or stand up and make a difference in your lives by electing better people and thus forcing the government to develop better infrastructure.
However the lack of character in us does not give the government to deny the basic infrastructure to the people. Minimum Health Care is the most basic infrastructure.
— Purna
2. Debi P Sarangi | March 28th, 2011 at 12:11 pm
Well said Purna babu. I hereby request all the stakeholders e.g. people of Odisha, Government, and the WODC to take the initiative for this much deserved institution. Please stop politics on this issue and let the dream come true after such along period and people of this part of the state barely deserve this to come up.