Punjab govt plans to set up 2 medical colleges in Moga, Khatkar Kalan

Chandigarh: Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Wednesday said the state government has plans to set up two medical colleges, one at Moga and another at Khatkar Kalan which is the ancestral village of legendary martyr Bhagat Singh.

Singh was replying to a query during the Question Hour on the concluding day of the two-day state assembly session.

Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa had asked about the status of opening of new medical colleges in the state.

“Under Centrally sponsored scheme, two new medical colleges at Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur have been sanctioned by the government of India with 60:40 funding ratio. Construction work of these two colleges has been given to the Public Works Department,” he informed the House.

“The decision to establish two new medical colleges at Moga and Khatkar Kalan is under consideration,” he said.

The health minister said the state government will construct a medical college at Sangrur out of its own funds.

“A minority medical college is being established at Malerkotla with the help of the Central government whose share is 60 per cent (Rs 195 crore) while the state government will spend Rs 130 crore on the project,” he said.

The state government has started a new medical college at Mohali — Dr BR Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences — by upgrading the existing infrastructure of Civil Hospital, Phase-6, and first batch was admitted in 2022.

Meanwhile, Punjab Food and Civil Supplies minister Lal Chand Kataruchak said during a verification process, unfortunately ration cards of some people have been cancelled which should not have been done.

He was replying to a question by Congress MLA Sandeep Jakhar who wanted to know the number of cancellation of ration cards in Abohar.

The minister said during the last one year, 3,971 ration cards have been cancelled in Abohar district and out of which 1,549 ration cards were cancelled in Abohar assembly constituency.

The minister further said the scheme of issuing ration cards is based on economic parameters.

“But we are also considering Covid, HIV, and cancer affected families and single women,” he said.