Telangana gets a raw deal in allotment of medical colleges

Hyderabad: The tussle between the State and the Central governments over non-approval of medical colleges to Telangana gets intensified. Further, the officials stated that the State got a raw deal even with regard to increase in MBBS and PG seats.

While the Centre has provided Rs 2,451 crore to 15 States, the Telangana had failed to get any share. However, for the enhancement of PG seats in government hospitals, the Centre gave Rs 42.75 crore to Telangana. Since 2014, the Centre has been providing support to the State governments of all States and Union Territories for setting up of new medical colleges and new PG courses in Medical Education-2 wing under the Central Health Ministry. Similarly, the wing has also been providing 90 per cent grant as support to the States which have special category status and 60 per cent to other States.

The State TRS leaders have been targeting the Centre on the issue of allotment of medical colleges. They alleged that out of the 157 new medical colleges issued in the country, not even a single college was given to the State. However, the Health Ministry revealed that when the State government was asked to send proposals for upgrading district hospitals as medical colleges, there was no response from Telangana.

However, an RTI query pointed that there was discrimination in allocation of funds to States, particularly those which are not ruled by the party which is in ruling at the Centre. In the last seven years, the Centre sanctioned 157 medical colleges with Rs 41,332.61 crore and the Central share was Rs 20,390.21 crore. Maximum number of colleges was allotted to States like Uttar Pradesh (27), Rajasthan (23), Madhya Pradesh (14) and Karnataka (4). While Andhra Pradesh requested for 16 colleges, it received only three and was given Rs 585 crore. According to an RTI query, Kerala was least benefited from the Central schemes.