Ignoring the mounting pressure from prominent politicians controlling professional colleges, the Medical Education and Public Health Department headed by Digvijay Khanvilkar on Thursday published a list of partially-aided private medical colleges.‘‘Under the rules prescribed by the Medical Council of India (MCI), the government will have partial control over medical colleges, which are partially aided by the government,’’ the Health Minister said. MLAs clear pay hike, defer EIRA Bill MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Assembly members on Thursday deferred a Bill that would give legal status to the Educational Institutions’ Regulatory Authority (EIRA), but minutes later, cleared another Bill that hiked their perks and pensions, putting a burden of Rs 14.51 crore on the exchequer. — ENS The MCI, in its May 14, 2003 circular issued after the Supreme Court order in the T M Foundation case, had issued guidelines on partially-aided medical colleges. ‘‘While determining as to whether an institution is aided or unaided, the government may also take into consideration every aspect of support that may have been provided to it in the form of financial grant, land, subsidised land or building, free or subsidised attachment with government or any such facility given at concessional rate,’’ the MCI had pointed out.As far as Maharashtra is concerned, a record number of 13 private medical and 10 dental colleges have secured land or beds in government-run hospitals. ‘‘Since they have been classified as partially-aided institutions, we will have some control over them. We will elaborate on our control later,’’ a senior Medical Education Department official said.Since most medical colleges, the official said, are controlled by prominent politicians, there was pressure on the government to abandon his plan to publish the list of partially-aided institutions. The managements of private medical colleges had submitted that in view of the specific orders of the apex court, the government has no control over them.Among such partially-aided colleges are the Terna Medical College, Navi Mumbai, controlled by Irrigation Minister Padamsinh Patil, M.G.M. Medical College controlled by senior NCP leader Kamalkishore Kadam, D.Y. Medical College at Navi Mumbai and Kolhapur, N.K.P. Salve Medical College controlled by MPCC president Ranjeet Deshmukh, Annasaheb Chudaman Medical College controlled by former minister Rohidas Patil and Pravara Medical College controlled by former Union minister Balasaheb Vikhe Patil.Terna, M.G.M. and D.Y. Patil medical colleges have been given land at a concessional rate, while Ranjeet Deshmukh’s college has been given 15 hectares at a nominal rate of Re 1 and 12 hectares free of cost and Vikhe Patil’s has been given 52 hectares of land free of cost, the notification says.
