Tripura Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Jitendra Chaudhury urged Chief Minister Manik Saha not to allow setting up of a proposed medical college by West Bengal based “Swadheen Trust”, which according to LoP, is managed by Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal,  who is currently in Tihar Jail in Delhi in connection with the cattle-smuggling case.

The ruling BJP, however, denied the LoP’s allegations.  The LoP in his letter to the Chief Minister quoting newspaper reports said that “Swadheen Trust” has applied to the state Government for handing over or for using the available services, facilities and infrastructure of the century old, historic and iconic health institution of Tripura -- the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (erstwhile Victoria Memorial Hospital).

“Using the IGM Hospital infrastructure, the trust is keen to run the proposed medical college ‘Shantiniketan Medical College’.

Already the trust has started mobilisation of materials, equipment, hospital beds, etc, of the existing government hospital, though the necessary decision of the government, permitting the trust to do so, is yet to be accorded officially,” he said.

Chaudhury, who is also the Tripura state Secretary of the CPI(M), said that it was reported in the media that, the West Bengal LoP Subhendu Adhikari had earlier requested the Union Health Minister that the ‘Swadheen Trust’ is actually managed by Mondal should not be allowed to run ‘Shantiniketan Medical College’ in West Bengal.

“If that is true, then it seems wise to think twice, before allowing the same trust to run a medical college in Tripura too,” he said.

The Left leader while talking to the media claimed that a leader holding the constitutional post in Tripura has been patronising to set up the proposed ‘Shantiniketan Medical College’ in Tripura.

“No bill was passed in the Tripura assembly, no permission was accorded by the appropriate authority, but building being constructed at Ranirkhamar (in West Tripura) for the proposed medical college,” the LOP said.

Denying Chaudhury’s allegations, BJP spokesman Subrata Chakraborty said that the state government did not provide any land to the proposed ‘Shantiniketan Medical College’, nor even given any infrastructure of any hospital or any manpower.

He said that the state government has accorded permission to the proposed medical college for a limited period to use the premises of the state’s Dental college and when the buildings of the proposed medical college are completed, they would be shifted to their own buildings.

“When the state government has been trying to expand the health infrastructure in the state, the opposition CPI(M) leaders are coming in the way,” Chakraborty told the media.