A high-level committee is meeting on Monday to address issues leading to delay in infrastructure building and recruitment of manpower for two AIIMS-type institutions and five new medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir.
An official told Greater Kashmir that only 18 percent infrastructure work has been completed on the new medical colleges despite the deadline for completion of all works ending in coming December. A review document of these projects reveals that Rs 5.05 crore had been released under the central share to executing agencies for infrastructure development of new medical colleges. Of this, only Rs 94 lakh have been utilized till date.
“The progress achieved so far in terms of percentage is just 18.6,” the document states.
The renovation and alteration work on makeshift arrangements—conceived as a stop-gap arrangement to start MBBS classes in 2019—is also moving at a sluggish pace, the document reads.
According to the official, these makeshift structures are meant to serve as “temporary gallery-type” lecture halls, dissection halls, library and laboratories in absence of full-fledged college buildings.
In terms of manpower, no clerical and technical staff has been recruited for the medical colleges yet.
While the health and medical education department had taken a decision to depute staff from cadres of accounts, planning and steno, as well as faculty above the level of assistant professors on deputation or academic arrangement, no progress has been made on this front as well.
A senior official said that 1895 posts of non-gazetted staff have been referred to J&K Service Selection Board (SSB). However, the recruiting agency has made it clear that the recruitment will take “at least two years.”
“In that case, there is no option but to fast-track temporary hiring of key staff without which the proposed start of MBBS course from 2019 will just be a dream,” the official said.
Last month, the state government had sought postponement of visit by a team from central medical education regulatory body for taking stock of preparedness of the colleges in terms of infrastructure and manpower and assess if MBBS courses could be started from upcoming academic session. Each of the five medical colleges has intake capacity of 100 MBBS students.
Later, the government reconstituted a high-level committee to address the issues related to establishment of AIIMS Awantipora, AIIMS Vijaypur and medical colleges in Anantnag, Baramulla, Rajouri, Kathua and Doda.
The official said that the construction work on two AIIMS-type institutions was also going at a slow pace.
“We will analyse how the work can be expedited to ensure early completion of these key projects in health sector,” he said.
The committee is meeting for the first time Monday under the chairmanship of principal secretary, health and medical education department. The issues that will be discussed in the meeting include expediting work on infrastructure development.
As per the meeting agenda, the executing agencies “need to be instructed to gear up with execution of these projects so that UCs (utilisation certificates) could be submitted to the government of India for availing of further grants.”
The committee will also review progress made on manpower recruitment including 330 posts of assistant professors by the Public Service Commission. Status of recruitment of professors, associate professors, paramedical and other staff as per SRO 384 will also be reviewed.