Week after Congress alleges irregularities in allotting land to private medical college, Tripura CM Manik Saha says ‘govt committed to improving health infrastructure’

A week after Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman accused Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha of engaging in irregularities in allotting government land to a private medical college, Saha on Monday said the government was committed to improving health infrastructure in the state.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 64th Foundation Day of Govind Ballabh Pant (GBP) hospital in Agartala, CM Saha said, “Many investors are now willing to invest here to set up medical colleges, dental colleges, and Homeopathic Ayurvedic colleges. We also welcome them. When I heard during the ‘Mukhyamantri Samipeshu’ program about doctors referring patients outside the state, I wondered why people need to go outside even after all such facilities are here. So, we decided to have super-to-super specialty facilities here. Shija Hospital (a private hospital based in Manipur) has already applied to us. We have initiated a process to provide them land. After completion of government procedures, and passing (the proposal) in the state cabinet, we shall give them the land.”

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Roy Barman, in the first week of October, had alleged that the CM bypassed the cabinet in allotting land to a private hospital and hinted at some sort of an illegal trade-off.

Reacting to the allegations of Roy Barman, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, who also acts as the cabinet spokesperson, had remarked that Roy Barman was trying to malign the image of the state government and the chief minister.