Phulbani: Three months after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the setting up of a medical college and hospital in Phulbani, the administration has earmarked 25 acres of land for the project.
Land identification has ended a lot of speculation about location of the proposed medical college and hospital.
Reports said the administration has completed the first phase of land identification. A patch of 25 acres of land has been identified at Tilakpada, about 2 km away from Phulbani.
It was learnt that the land acquisition and handover of the land will be completely soon.
Significantly, a technical team and the director of the medical college visited the site. Last month, director of the medical college Dr CVK Mohanty, Director of Health Dr Bijay Kumar Mohapatra, and a former superintending engineer took stock of the proposed site. The team has sought another 25 acres of land to meet the requirement of infrastructure for the project.
The administration has applied to the Khajuripada tehsildar for another 25 acres of government land.
As for the project, CDMO Dr Rajashree Patnaik said the medical college will be set up on the land while the district headquarters hospital will be upgraded with 500 beds.
“Once land handover process was over, construction work will start. We have set a target to seek admission for medical courses by 2022,” Patnaik said.
Khajuripada tehsildar Manoj Kumar Padhi has confirmed that 25 acres of land has been identified for the project.
“That patch of land was initially identified for a reserve battalion, but local people had opposed the project. They had even moved the High Court against the move to hand over the land to the reserve battalion. The people have fully supported the medical college. As the matter is sub-judice, there is delay in handing over the land to the medical authorities,” he added.
The Kui Samanmaya Samiti had been demanding a government medical college and hospital at Phulbani. The demand for the project gained momentum when several outfits of the district formed a united forum that pitched for the issue.
Taking note of the people’s aspirations, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the medical college on his birthday, October 16, 2019.
“I am happy to announce that a government medical college and hospital would be set up at district headquarters hospital, Phulbani. The number of beds would be increased to 500 for the aforesaid purpose and a composite campus would be planned,” the Chief Minister had said.
PNN