Deliberations on several key issues yet to begin
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 6: There is absolutely no headway on setting up of maiden Medical University in Jammu and Kashmir the announcement about which was made by none else than the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti last year. The intensity of soft-paddling can be gauged from the fact that neither the proposal has been cleared by the Finance and Planning Departments nor deliberations have been held on several key issues particularly the possible location of the varsity.
The announcement, which received wide-spread appreciation, was made by the Chief Minister on December 18, 2017. “In an effort to realize my father’s vision, we will start the process to set up the first ever Medical University in Jammu and Kashmir during the upcoming Assembly Session”, she had stated and mentioned that varsity would cover 16 professional Medical Colleges and 113 Para-Medical Institutes in the State and reduce burden of Jammu University and Kashmir University to a large extent.
On the same day, the then Health and Medical Education Minister Bali Bhagat had stated that a high-level committee has been constituted to hold deliberations on all the aspects relating to the establishment of Medical University in the State.
He had even gone to the extent of mentioning that proposal in this regard would be placed before the Cabinet within a fortnight after which the legislation for the university would be tabled before the Legislature in the upcoming Budget Session.
“If everything goes well, we propose to give final shape to the Medical University by next academic year. A total of 16 professional Medical Colleges and 113 Para-Medical Colleges and Nursing Institutes in the State would be covered by the Medical University”, he had further stated.
However, despite lapse of nearly five months no headway could be made on the announcement due to lack of coordination between all the concerned departments-Health and Medical Education, Finance and Planning, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
“Though a draft bill prepared by the Health and Medical Education Department was cleared by the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs when the Legislature was in Session yet the same could not be introduced for want of concurrence from the Finance and Planning Departments”, they said while disclosing that approval of these two departments was mandatory keeping in view huge financial implication involved in setting up of Medical University in the State.
Keeping in view the importance of Medical University in the State, several legislators cutting across the party lines had sought to know the status of the proposal during the Budget Session held in January-February this year but in view of no headway the Government had to simply state that proposal was under active consideration.
Disclosing that concurrence of Finance and Planning Departments was still awaited, sources said that it would be only after the approval of these departments that the Health and Medical Education Department would be in a position to place the proposal before the Cabinet whose approval is mandatory for introduction of bill in the State Legislature.
“The intensity of soft-paddling on the announcement of Chief Minister can be gauged from the fact that even deliberations have not been held on key issues particularly the probable location of the Medical University”, sources further said, adding “in view of the demography of the State, the options of location available with the State Government are—full University Camps at either Jammu or Srinagar with camp office at either place or two separate Medical Universities-one each at Jammu and Srinagar”.
When contacted, Principal Secretary to Government Health and Medical Education Department Dr Pawan Kotwal confirmed that concurrence of Finance and Planning Departments was awaited. “If everything goes well the draft bill will be placed before the Legislature during the session to be held in Srinagar”, he added.
It is pertinent to mention here that all the Medical Colleges, which are presently under the control of Jammu University and Kashmir University, will be placed under the control of Medical University following its establishment.
These Medical Colleges are Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, GMC Bemina, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Government Dental College Srinagar, Government Unani College Srinagar, GMC Jammu, Government Dental College Jammu, Dental College Sehora, Jammu, Acharya Shri Chander College of Medical Sciences (ASCOMS), Government Ayurvedic College Jammu, Trikuta Ayurveda College Jammu and five upcoming Medical Colleges including Rajouri, Doda, Kathua, Anantnag and Baramulla.
Even Para-Medical Colleges and Nursing Institutes will come under the domain of new Medical University.
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