Agartala, Sept 06: The Tripura Legislative Assembly witnessed a heated session on Friday over the proposed establishment of the Santiniketan Medical College.
The final day of the Monsoon session saw heated arguments between the treasury bench and the opposition, with the CPM and Congress legislators demanding the formation of a Joint Legislative Committee to examine various aspects of the private medical college project.
The situation escalated when Speaker Biswabandhu Sen rejected the demand, prompting the opposition MLAs to storm the well of the House in protest. After failing to get the Speaker's approval, they walked out in dissent.
Amidst the rising tensions, Chief Minister Manik Saha addressed the assembly, stating that the government would take strict action if any allegations against the group responsible for setting up the medical college were substantiated.
The opposition alleged that a key individual associated with the project was under investigation by the CBI and had close ties to jailed Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal.
Chief Minister Saha, who holds both the Health and Education portfolios, highlighted the experience of Swadhin Trust, the organization behind the project, which had previously established a medical college in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.
He informed the House that construction is already underway on 20 acres of land in Ranir Khamar, West Tripura district, for a 500-bed hospital and 150-seat medical college. The number of beds is expected to increase to 1,000 within five years, with plans for a multi-specialty hospital.
Saha added that following a visit by the National Medical Commission (NMC) in June, the commission granted the necessary Letter of Permission. Tripura University, a central institution, has also provided Consent of Affiliation, allowing the Santiniketan Medical College to admit 150 students for the 2024-25 academic year.
In the initial phase, the college will utilize the facilities of Tripura’s primary referral hospital, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, for teaching purposes, and will pay the government a fee of Rs. 10,000 per student. Half of the seats in the medical college will be reserved for students from Tripura.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the establishment of the medical college would not only attract new investments to the state but also improve healthcare services in the region.
Opposition leader Jitendra Chaudhury and Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman expressed concerns over the project, alleging that a key figure involved with the Swadhin Trust had close links with the incarcerated Trinamool leader.
Chaudhury criticized the decision to allow the medical college to use the infrastructure of the century-old Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, calling it illegal and unethical.
Meanwhile, the three-day Monsoon Session (5th Session of 13th Tripura Legislative Assembly) came to an end on Friday. The Speaker expressed his gratitude to all members of the assembly for their cooperation throughout the House proceedings. He then adjourned the House sine die. (with inputs from agencies)