Bill to acquire C’garh college triggers row

RAIPUR: A controversy has erupted in Chhattisgarh over the Bhupesh Baghel government’s plan to acquire a privately run medical college, with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleging that the decision, highlighted in a media report on Tuesday morning, was designed to bail out the loss-making college because it was run by a board that has one of the chief minister’s relatives as a member.

Chief minister Baghel on Tuesday tweeted his rebuttal, insisting that his only aim was to save the medical college and benefit the state’s students. “By acquiring [it], we will save the time to open a new medical college and we will get 150 doctors every year,” he said.

Chhattisgarh health minister TS Singh Deo is slated to introduce a bill in the state assembly on Wednesday that seeks to acquire the privately-owned Chandulal Chandrakar Memopeople rial Medical College in Durg.

According to its website, the college, named after senior Congress leader and five-time Member of Parliament Chandulal Chandrakar, was set up in 2013 and is run by a 59-member board. Among those on the board is a member of the joint family into which Baghel’s daughter is married. The Opposition alleged the government was pushing the deal to help the loss-making college.

BJP spokesperson Gauri Shankar Srivas said public interest clearly wasn’t driving the government’s hand.

“This is a serious issue… We will raise the issue in the state assembly and knock on the doors of the high court if needed. This government is benefitting their relatives which is a matter of concern.”

Janata Congress Chhattisgarh president Amit Jogi claimed the college has an outstanding debt of ₹125 crore and was not recognised by the Medical Council of India since 2017.