Twitter Feud erupts between Health Minister, Governor on Telangana Medical Colleges

Hyderabad: The Governor and Health Minister of Telangana recently engaged in a Twitter feud over the sanctioning of medical colleges by the Centre in the State.

While the Governor praised the Central Government for setting up new medical colleges across the States and blamed the State government for not applying in time, the Health Minister claimed how the Central Government has done gross injustice to state by not responding to the repeated pleas.

It commenced with the Tweet of the Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan highlighting how the Central Government introduced medical revolution by sanctioning medical colleges in the country.

She mentioned in a Tweet, "Medical revolution in the last 8yrs:Number of med colleges doubled from around 300 to 700 approx.MBBS seats increased by 85% nearing 1 Lakhs from 30000 ,PG med seats 150% increased.15 New AIIMS & New Nursing Colleges in every New med colleges added district wise accross Nation."

When asked why the Central Government has not sanctioned the same for Telangana, the State Governor replied, "When every state applied for new med colleges under PMSSY scheme Telangana failed to apply in time as stated by Union Health minister...You sleep and wake up late and ask. TN got 11 medical colleges in a single Year."

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Responding to the statements made by the Governor, one user asked for the official info where the central government says that the State did not apply. In this context, the Governor mentioned in a Tweet, "Check parliament proceedings on this subject Reply by then union Health Minister JPNadda wherein he has categorically stated that Telangana failed in time when 147 new medical colleges were sanctioned under various schemes."

This initiated the Twitter feud and in a series of Tweet, the Health Minister of Telangana T Harish Rao mentioned, "FACT is Gross injustice meted out to Telangana in sanctioning of Medical Colleges, despite repeated pleas from state govt to Centre. Of 157 medical colleges approved by centre, TS got Union Govt discriminated & deceived TS in all three phases of allotment of Colleges."

"What's worse is Union ministers' contrasting statements on medical colleges. One said TS didn't make any request, other said Govt wanted colleges in Khammam & Karimnagar. By stating Centre didn't give a nod bcos private colleges are already set up, Who is misleading people?" he mentioned in another Tweet.

Referring to the efforts of the State Government for setting up new medical colleges in the State, the Health Minister stated in a Tweet, "CM #KCR Garu setup 12 medical clgs with state's own funds in tune to vision of medical clg in each dist. TS tops in country with 19 MBBS seats per lakh population? Instead of hurling abuses, Centre & governor shud appreciate TS govt for opening colleges in a single day."

"Instead of giving funds to Bibinagar AIIMS which is supposed to be on par with Delhi AIIMS, Union Minister makes false claims blaming TS govt. Why only ₹156cr of ₹1365cr released & Why Gujarat AIIMS gets 52% of funds while TS gets 11.4% when both were sanctioned in 2018," he added in another Tweet.

"Why no one voices about injustice meted to TS? Why not find fault with Centre in the interest of Telangana? It would be a great help to people of TS, if Raj Bhavan reorients its focus & pushes GoI for Tribal University and Rail Coach factory, as promised in APRA2014," another Tweet read in this regard.

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