Center provides Rs 260 cr to JK health dept for 5 new medical colleges in state

The Centre Wednesday released Rs 260 crore to the Jammu and Kashmir Health and Medical Education department for five new medical colleges being set up in as many districts of the state.

With the latest release of funds by the Centre, the cumulative release of central share for these colleges at Anantnag, Baramulla, Doda, Kathua and Rajouri, till date has reached Rs 765 crore, Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Atal Dulloo said.

He said the Union ministry of Health and Family Welfare has sanctioned five new medical colleges in the state at a cost of Rs 189 crore each -- out of which Rs 139 crore is for civil works and Rs 50 crore for machinery and equipment.

The civil works in all these medical colleges are at different levels of progress and have been expedited of late to put the requisite infrastructure in place at the earliest, he said.

Dulloo said the department has initiated steps to provide infrastructure, equipment and human resource in these colleges as per the Medical Council of India (MCI) guidelines to start the first batch of MBBS admissions next year.

He said with the completion of the new medical colleges, 500 MBBS students would be annually added to the overall capacity of the course in the state.

(With inputs from agencies.)