By Firstdespatch Desk Sep 06, 2024
Agartala, Sep 6 (FD) Tripura assembly was on Friday informed that a private medical college was given permission for beginning MBBS course for 150 students from the 2024-25 academic year.
In reply to a calling attention notice raised by opposition Congress MLA, Sudip Roy Barman, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, who is also the Health Minister of the state, said that National Medical Council (NMC) has given permission to Tripura Santiniketan Medical College (TSMC).
The college is run by ‘Swadhin Trust’, a West Bengal based organization, which also runs a private medical college at Bolpur in Shantiniketan.
Saha said, on the basis of the permission given by National Medical Council (NMC), The Tripura Central University has also issued a Consent of Affiliation to the medical college.
The college is located at Ranirkhamar at the outskirts of the capital Agartala.
The chief minister, who holds the health portfolio, said that 50 per cent of the total 150 MBBS seats will be reserved for the students of the northeastern state.
The Congress MLA, however, voiced concern over the exorbitant fees of the MBBS course.
“The medical college is reportedly charging around Rs 1 crore for the MBBS course which is quite high given the socio-economic condition of the state. Many meritorious students of the state could not pursue the medical course in the college due to the high course fees,” Barman said.
The medical college functions under a Kolkata-based trust.
Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury also voiced concern over the way the private medical college was given permission for admission.
In reply, the chief minister said the government is focusing on ease of doing business in the northeastern state.
“No investors will come to the state if we seek clearance from the Enforcement Directorate or CBI. We had judged the trust’s financial capacity for the past three years whether it could manage the college or not," Saha said.
The state government has already given its consent to use a portion of the state-run IGM Hospital for training purposes, the chief minister said.
"We are keeping an eye on the functioning of the college. If anything unforeseen happens, we will take appropriate steps,” he said. FD JK