Where’s the logic in this, Governor asks Govt

Since the formation of the statutory development boards under article 371 of the constitution, there is a special responsibility on the governor towards the removal of regional imbalance. “Under the article, the government has to ensure that there is equitable allocation of developmental expenditure for Vidarbha, Marathwada and rest of Maharashtra. Secondly, he has also to ensure that there equitable distribution of seats in the professional colleges,” the official pointed out.

As per the clause 10 of the Development Board order, for suitable arrangement for education, training and employment, the governor shall ensure equitable arrangement for providing adequate facilities for technical education and vocational training and for adequate opportunities for employment in service under control of the state government in respect of the area of each development board, subject to the requirement of the state as a whole.

Under the same clause, the governor is empowered to give suitable directions to the state government from time to time and while doing so, the governor may, where he considers it necessary and appropriate, seek advice from any person or body of persons.

“Prime facie, the decision of the government to open a medical college at Kolhapur violates the concepts of equitable distribution of seats in professional colleges in rest of Maharashtra. As per official records, there are already 157 surplus seats in medical colleges in rest of Maharashtra, while there is a shortfall of 84 seats in Marathwada and 73 seats in the backward Vidarbha region,” the official said.

Alexander has asked the government to explain as to what measures it will take to ensure that there is equitable distribution of seats in professional colleges so that there is no fresh backlog.

A senior NCP minister from Vidarbha said at a juncture when the demand for a separate Vidarbha is gaining momentum, opening a new government medical college and that too in Western Maharashtra, will have an adverse impact. “We feel that till the row over separate Vidarbha is not settled, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh should keep the decision in abeyance,” the NCP Minister said.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Narayan Rane has strongly condemned the decision, saying, in view of backwardness of the Konkan region, government should open a new medical college either at Ratnagiri or Sindhudurg. “My information is that Khanvilkar has shifted medical equipments as well as staff from Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg to facilitate the opening of the new college for his own political gain. Such a proposal should be cancelled,” Rane said.

Soon after the cabinet took the decision, MCI had communicated that it will send a team for inspection. However, the inspection was postponed after the D Y Patil Medical College took objection, saying, such a proposal will be in blatant violation of the agreement it had signed with the institution. “From the proposal, it appears that government will share the medical facilities with our college, which was unacceptable to the MCI,” a senior office bearer of the D Y Patil Education Society said.

Status of seats:Rest of Maharashtra has 5.53 per cent surplus (157) seats, while there is deficit of 3.01 per cent (84 seats) in Marathwada and 2.75 per cent in Vidarbha (73 seats) as per the report of the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences.