HC GIVES GOVT A WEEK TO SUBMIT STUDENTS’ SHIFTING PLAN

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court, on Thursday, gave one week to the Punjab government to submit a plan for shifting 500-odd MBBS and MDS students of Gian Sagar medical college, Banur, to other colleges in the state.

The direction was given on a petition of the students seeking shifting to other colleges. Earlier, advocate general Atul Nanda apprised the court that essentiality or consent certificate for running the college by the state government had been withdrawn in respect of MBBS and MDS classes.

Hence, all the students will be shifted to private and government medical colleges in the state and Centre has been informed to direct the Medical Council of India to expedite the process.

On the demand raised by petitioners’ counsel, senior advocate Gurminder Singh and Puneet Gupta, that students be allowed to attend classes pending the finalisation of the plan, Nanda said that the matter would be discussed with top officials and the court would be informed about it on the next date of hearing.

Earlier, the government told the court that a high-level committee, which visited the college in March, had pointed out various deficiencies. The AG told the court that the college management failed to reply in a week on the show-cause notice on the essentiality certificate issued on April 24 and was given more time.

A personal hearing was afforded to officials on May 8 before taking a decision, the AG said, adding that in the personal hearing the management failed to submit a concrete plan on the revival of the college. It was in this backdrop that a decision on the withdrawal of the essentiality certificate was taken, the AG told the court. The matter was adjourned to May 16.