Govind Sharma
JAMMU, July 9: Uncerta-inty looms large over opening of Government Ayurvedic College in Jammu, as despite, issuance of Letter of Intent (LoI) by the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India (GoI) in favour of the College with intake capacity of 50 students, the State Government has failed to arrange faculty members.
According to official sources, Government Ayurvedic College and Hospital was opened in the year 1962 but had to be closed in 1975 due to some reasons. Again in the year 2009, Union Ministry of Ayush sanctioned an Ayurvedic College and its associated hospital for the State and the construction work was started by J&K Housing Board in 2011 at Akhnoor at an estimated cost of Rs 2600 lakhs.
But despite lapse of over six years, some furnishing work of the college is still pending and building of its associated hospital under construction and its completion may take at least one more year.
“As per conditions, Central Ministry of Ayush, a two-year old functional Ayurvedic Hospital is required for starting a new Ayurvedic College”, sources said, adding in view of this condition, the State Government proposed to start the College on make shift basis from DTL (Drug Testing Lab) building of Government Ayurvedic Hospital, Indira Chowk, and also proposed Government Ayurvedic Hospital, Indira Chowk, as its Associated Hospital.
According to official sources, after assessing all facilities Ministry of Ayush, in the month of May this year, issued Letter of Intent in favour of Government Ayurvedic College Jammu with intake capacity of 50 students for the session 2017-18 from Indira Chowk Jammu, with some conditions to be fulfilled by the State Government before the final inspection by the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) to issue Letter of Permission (LoP) in favour of the College failing which the Letter of Intent issued shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.
“Though most of the conditions required for conducting final inspection of CCIM have been fulfilled, but the State Government is sleeping over the issue of arrangement of faculty members for the proposed college that too when University of Jammu has also granted affiliation to the proposed college with admission capacity of 50 seats in BAMS (UG) Course”, sources regretted.
“However, according to the sources, the negligence/delay on the part of the State Government in making arrangement of faculty members, may prove dearer for the J&K, particularly Jammu region, as if early decision was not taken on the issue, the Jammu region may have to wait for another three to four years for the opening of the College, which is also a dream project of the State Government.
When contacted, Minister for Health and Medical Education, Bali Bhagat, said that they were working on war footing to make the college functional from this session. On the issue of the arrangement of faculty members, he said, “A meeting in this connection is pending and soon it will be conducted and after threadbare discussions, decision will be taken on the issue”.
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