Wednesday, Jun 23, 2010
25 acres needed to set up college; only 18 acres available

• Authorities approach MCI to relax the norms regarding the land required
• A.H. Vishwanath says he will discuss the issue with the Railway authorities

Mysore: The ambitious plan of the Indian Railways to set up a Railway Medical College in Mysore is facing a teething problem owing to the paucity of land with the Mysore Division of the South Western Railways.

After becoming Railway Minister, Mamata Banarjee sanctioned the medical college for the city in the Railway budget. Mysore is one of the 14 centres which have been granted railway medical colleges, which will be attached to railway hospitals. Railway officials have identified 18 acres of land belonging to the Railway Central Workshop in Ashokpuram. But the actual requirement to set up the medical college is 25 acres, as set by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The project is said to be on hold since the Railways do not have the land to meet the MCI specification.

When The Hindu contacted Senior Divisional Engineer, Mysore Division of South Western Railways, Sunil N. Maske, admitted that while the Railways had 18.54 acres, the actual requirement specified by MCI was 25 acres. A proposal had been sent to the Railway Board with regard to setting up the medical college. However, there had been no response, he said.
However, sources in the South Western Railways asserted that every attempt would be made to set up the medical college and an Expression of Interest (EoI) would be called shortly to implement the project. The EoI is likely to be called for all the proposed 14 colleges, which are on a public-private-partnership (PPP) basis.

Authorities have approached the MCI to relax the norms regarding the land required. Meanwhile, attempts are being made to acquire 15 acres of land attached to the Sandalwood Factory abutting the identified site.

Meanwhile, elected representatives are also keen on retaining the medical college in Mysore. MP for Mysore A.H. Vishwanath said that he would discuss the issue with the Railway authorities and find a solution to the land problem. “I will do my best to retain the college which is a gift to Mysore,” he said.

District in-charge Minister S. Suresh Kumar has also made a similar commitment. The district administration is also keen on retaining the college. The Deputy Commissioner, in a release here on Tuesday, said that he had discussed the issue with the Divisional Manager, South Western Railways. The Railways had made an appeal to the MCI to take a lenient view regarding the land requirement, he said. The issue was still with the Railway authorities and there was no proposal from them seeking additional land. In case of any official proposal, the district administration would definitely take up the matter, he added.