Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami today laid the foundation stone for a new government medical college at Dindigul. He said that the college will be constructed in 8.61 acres at a cost of Rs 325 crore.
The Chief Minister, who was accorded a warm welcome by the cadres and general public, said at the event that the construction of the college will be completed as soon as possible.
”The college will start admission for the academic year 2021-22 and 150 students can study here. Special officers have been appointed to oversee the works that are being carried out,” he said.
He further said that Rs 100 crore has been already alloted for the works. Palaniswami also listed out the various health schemes implemented by the State government. ”Tamilnadu is leading by example in preventing the spread of various diseases,” he said.
He also thanked the Central government for granting permission to establish 11 new medical colleges in the State. During the event, he distributed welfare schemes worth 64 crore to 25,613 beneficiaries.
It may be noted that Palaniswami has been travelling across the State to lay the foundation stone for the new medical colleges approved by the Union government. He had earlier said that the State would admit 1,650 more students to its medical colleges from academic year 2021-22 in addition to 3,250 seats filled at present.
He said Rs 1,200 crore has been allocated in the 2020-21 budget in this regard. Palaniswami said that 85 per cent seats in government medical colleges are allotted to students from the State.
”Students from the State also make it to the 15 per cent allotted for the all India quota,” he added.
In October 2019, the Centre had approved six new medical colleges at Tirupur, Nilgiris, Ramanathapuram, Namakkal, Dindigul and Virudhunagar districts. In November, it gave nod to set up three medical colleges in Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam and Krishnagiri districts.