AGARTALA: Tripura Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Jitendra Chaudhury urged Chief Minister Manik Saha not to allow setting up a proposed medical college by West Bengal based ‘Swadheen Trust’ which, according to the CPI-M leader, is managed by Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal who is currently in Delhi's Tihar Jail in connection with the cattle-smuggling case. The state's ruling BJP, however, denied the LoP's claims.
The LoP in his letter to the Chief Minister quoting media reports said that ‘Swadheen Trust’ has applied to the state government to hand over or to use the available services, facilities and infrastructure of the century-old, historic and iconic health institution of Tripura - the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (erstwhile Victoria Memorial Hospital).
"Using the IGM Hospital infrastructure, the trust is keen to run the proposed medical 'Shantiniketan Medical College'. Already, the trust has started mobilisation of materials, equipment, hospital beds, etc., of the existing government hospital, though the necessary decision of the government, permitting the trust to do so, is yet to be accorded officially,” he said.
Chaudhury, who is also the Tripura state secretary of the CPI-M, said that it was reported in the media that West Bengal LoP Subhendu Adhikari had earlier told the Union Health Minister that the ‘Swadheen Trust’ is actually managed by Mondal, and it should not be allowed to run 'Shantiniketan Medical College'.
"If that is true, then it seems wise to think twice, before allowing the same trust to run a medical college in Tripura too," he said. The Left leader while talking to the media claimed that a leader holding the Constitutional post in Tripura has been patronizing to set up the proposed 'Shantiniketan Medical College' in the state.
"No Bill was passed in the Tripura Assembly, no permission was accorded by the appropriate authority, but a building is constructed at Ranirkhamar (in West Tripura) for the proposed medical college," the LoP said.
Denying Chaudhury's allegations, BJP spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty said that the state government neither provided any land to the proposed 'Shantiniketan Medical College', nor gave the infrastructure of any hospital or any manpower.
He said that the state government has accorded permission to the proposed medical college for a limited period to use the premises of the state's dental college and when the buildings of the proposed medical college are completed, they would be shifted to their own buildings.
"At a time when the state government has been trying to expand the health infrastructure in the state, the opposition CPI-M leaders are coming in the way," Chakraborty told the media. (IANS)
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