Cong split will benefit BJP-Sena alliance 8212; Rane

NASHIK, JUNE 11: Chief Minister Narayan Rane has said Sharad Pawar's rebellion would pave way for the victory of the Shiv Sena-BJP allian...

NASHIK, JUNE 11: Chief Minister Narayan Rane has said Sharad Pawar8217;s rebellion would pave way for the victory of the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra, as Pawar8217;s Nationalist Congress Party NCP and Sonia8217;s Congress would eat into each other8217;s vote bank.

Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the one-year-old Maharashtra University of Health Sciences MUHS and the World Bank-aided Health Services Development project on Thursday night, Rane said that the Sena-BJP alliance was not afraid of any election. He said that the Government8217;s performance in the past four and a half years has been so good that there has been an anti-Congress wave in the State. And the split in the Congress would further enhance the victory of the Sena-BJP combine, he said.

The Chief Minister said that since 1995, when the Sena-BJP Government assumed power in the State, it had strived for public welfare. He pointed out that the Government had done what the earlier Congress governments had failed to do in 46 years. He said that in the last four years, the percentage of villages connected by roads had increased from 62 per cent to 96 per cent and 16 districts have been made tanker-free. Eight more districts would join the list in one month, he said.

He further said that public health services were in poor shape in 1995, but in four years the whole system has been changed. He said that the World Bank-aided project would help the Government in further improving healthcare in the State and the MUHS would churn out better doctors in future. He promised all help for the MUHS in future.

Speaking on the occasion the Vice-Chancellor of the MUHS Dr Dayanand Dongaonkar urged the Government to provide 1,000 acres of land for the university campus, 300 staff members and adequate funds. At present the MUHS is housed in a rented structure. A construction project worth Rs 30 crore has been undertaken at Mhasrul near Nashik on 51 acres of land.

State Health Minister Dr Daulatrao Aher chose to lambast his critics for creating hurdles in his pet project, the MUHS. He said health services in the State would be revamped with World Bank aid of Rs 747 crore.

Earlier speaking at a function to felicitate Deans and officials for their contribution in conducting the CET, Dr Aher lambasted the bureaucracy in Mantralaya. He said that they had set an ideal example of avoiding work. He pointed out that the Mantralaya staff had developed an unmatched skill in avoiding ways and means of avoiding work and scuttling any new project. He said that despite all odds the MUHS was established and the successful CET was a slap on the face of his critics.

Story continues below this ad

The secretary of the medical education department Thomas Benjamin said that the first phase of the MUHS building would be completed in 15 months and the university would operate from the new building from October 2002. Public Health secretary Nana Patil said that the bed strength in government hospitals would be increased by 2,700 in the next four years with aid from the world bank. Each district will have two 50 bed hospitals and one 100 bed hospital, he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde lauded the work done by Dr Aher. Dr Aher8217;s progress report Yashogatha8217; containing the work done by him to the last four years, was released by Munde.