The controversy involving affiliation of Maharishi Markandehswar Medical College and University (MMU) seems to deepen further as the Himachal Pradesh Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur has asked the Centre to resolve the issue as the Medical Council of India (MCI) had no mandate on it.
In a press conference at Shimla, Kaul Singh revealed that the Himachal had written to the Centre to resolve the issue as the MCI had no authority in deciding that the medical college would be affiliated to the MMU.
Health Minister said that the state government has all options open to deal with controversy related to Private Medical College and same will be forced to abide by the state rules.
Kaul Singh also accused the previous BJP led state government for the MMU related controversy.
Vineet Chaudhary, Additional Chief Secretary (Health), Government of Himachal Pradesh, who accompanied the Health Minister in the press conference, said that the state government could exercise various options as the state government had issued essentiality certificate for running the medical college.
Replying the concern of increasing seats at Private Medical College, Chaudhary made clear that the university has to inform the state government before increasing the seats in its medical college.
The Maharishi Markandeshwar Medical College was accused of misleading the State Government and MCI to get the necessary clearance. Though, surprise to all the MCI had permitted Private University to admit 150 students in its first MBBS batch, yet in both Medical College of the state including, IGMC, which was established in 1966, find hard to even restore its seats to 100, which raised questions over the functioning of MIC.
The state unit of CPM had even demanded a CBI inquiry into the functioning of the MCI for issuing letter of permission to Maharishi Markandeshwar Medical College, affiliated to Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Kumarhatti (Solan), as under the 2010 Act, under which the MMU was established, University did not have powers to affiliate the medical college.
