HC declines to stay PPP model for medical colleges

 Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh High Court has observed that the establishment of government medical colleges under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model is a policy decision of the state government, and the court cannot intervene unless the decision is proven to be contrary to law.

Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) on Wednesday, the High Court refused to issue any interim orders to halt the ongoing tender process for the proposed PPP-based medical colleges.

The petitioner’s plea to restrain the government from granting operational rights to private entities was also dismissed. The court granted the state government additional time to file its counter-affidavit and adjourned the hearing for four weeks.

The PIL was filed by social activist Dr. Korra Vasundhara of Tadepalli, challenging Government Order (G.O.) No. 590, which facilitates the participation of private players in establishing and managing medical colleges and teaching hospitals in Andhra Pradesh.

During the hearing, senior advocate Sriram and advocate Ashok Ram appeared for the petitioner and argued that privatizing medical education through the PPP route could undermine accessibility and affordability for students and patients. They requested the court to stay the tender process until the legality and implications of the policy were examined in detail.

However, the High Court declined to grant a stay, noting that such matters fall within the policy domain of the executive. The bench observed that the government’s decision to develop colleges and hospitals under the PPP framework must be assessed comprehensively, weighing both its advantages and potential drawbacks.

“The court cannot interfere in policy decisions unless they violate statutory provisions or constitutional principles,” the bench remarked, indicating that judicial intervention at the tender stage would be premature.

The case will now be taken up after the government submits its response.