Meghalaya Govt not to allow operation of USTM’s PA Sangma Medical College without proper Act in place: Ampareen

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 18, 2024

Law Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Friday informed that the Cabinet has decided not to allow functioning of the PA Sangma International Medical College of University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM) without a proper Act in place.

Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, Lyngdoh said, “The Cabinet was pleased to decide that we will not be able to allow the USTM to function without a proper Act in place because we are mandated as a state government to monitor the allocation of seats, fees of the courses and we have therefore decided that the Cabinet will again sit after the health department brings forward its plan for the Act.”

According to her, the Cabinet is likely to meet again on Wednesday next week.

Lyngdoh said that the department will try its best to complete the process before the end of October, which is again mandated for all medical courses to begin.

Asked, the minister said, “Therefore, we are correcting our stance. There are supreme court judgments in position that already give adequate mandate to the state to come up with Acts so that there is no confusion in even allotment of seats, fees of students etc. So we will come up with an Act and we will have to fast track that Act hence the cabinet will meet again.”

“And if necessary, we will have to bring an ordinance so that we are mandated as per law to operationalise the USTM’s medical college,” she added.

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Lyngdoh stated that there is no confusion on the part of the state government in this regard.

“Once the NOC has been given to USTM to start operation, it is offering the state government some seats but we have to be guided by an Act and hence to make sure that we are doing things in the correct way, we follow what is being done in other states. Other states also have private medical colleges. We have to do that and we have to follow and make sure that the best practice is adopted so that we are guided by this Act,” she said.