Patiala, May 10: The state government on Tuesday withdrew essential certificates given to the medical, dental, nursing and physiotherapy colleges being run by Gian Sagar Educational and Charitable Trust.
The government will now officially start the process of shifting 1,550 students of these colleges to other institutes in the state.
Even as a petition on the matter is pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the government has already initiated talks with the Medical Council of India (MCI) as the management of these colleges was unable to produce any concrete plan for running the colleges that have been lying shut for about three months now due to financial constraints. The electricity, water supply and other essential services to the colleges and hostels have been discontinued.
During the hearing on the writ petition today, the government said it was not going to acquire the colleges owing to the hidden financial liabilities. Moreover, since Gian Sagar Educational and Charitable Trust is run by the family of Nirmal Singh Bhangoo, the key accused in the Rs 45,000-crore PACL ponzi scam, the government expressed doubt that the properties might be attached by the Lodha panel.
Health and Medical Education Minister Brahm Mohindra said: “The staff members were of the view that we should acquire the college instead of constructing a new Rs 200-crore medical college in Mohali. But here, we will be getting 60 per cent grant from the Centre. Moreover, we don’t know how much hidden liabilities Gian Sagar has. We cannot take that risk,” he said.
The minister said the Medical Council of India had given its go ahead for shifting the 1,550 Gian Sagar students to eight colleges of Punjab as per their merit list.
News Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com
