Acting on Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s announcement, a state-level committee in Punjab approved the proposal to set up a new medical college in Malerkotla at the cost of Rs 368.92 crore, at a meeting on Friday, chaired by Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan.
The committee has been constituted under the Prime Minister’s 15 Point Programme for the Economic, Social and Educational Development of Minorities.
Patiala MP Preneet Kaur also participated in the meeting. She said a medical college was needed to provide better healthcare and medical education facilities as well as employment opportunities to the people of Malerkotla and its adjoining areas.
Sharing details, the Chief Secretary said the medical college would be set up over 24.44 acres of land in Malerkotla Block-2 and connected to the local sub-divisional civil hospital. She said the land for this project has been provided on lease by the Punjab Waqf Board.
Mahajan stated that 100 students are proposed to be admitted to the medical college in the first year. It has been estimated to spend Rs 43.66 crore per annum for the operation of the college. In addition, the local civil hospital would be upgraded to 500 beds, she announced. She also issued instructions to make financial arrangements for this project in the revised budget.