Encroachment, a big deterrent for much awaited Balasore medical college

Balasore: Extensive encroachment is posing hurdles for the much awaited Balasore medical college and hospital as the city continues to be gripped by acute traffic problems.

Due to narrow roads and encroachment, smooth functioning of healthcare delivery services in the town especially the district headquarters hospital has been badly suffering.

Under such circumstances there is a growing concern as to how the under construction new medical college in the town which is scheduled to start from the next academic session will be able to deliver servcies.

Aggrieved by traffic woes due to the encroachments, the local public and other civil society organisations have threatened to go on a mass agitation.

“Administrative apathy and negligence of municipality are some of the main reasons behind the problems. Any legal setbacks that prevent the expansion of the city could be easily sorted out if the government takes the matter seriously,” a local resident said.

Secretary of Balasore Civil Society, Manoj Nayak said, “We demand that the encroachments be immediately evicted and the businesses that will be affected by the eviction be given necessary rehabilitation.”

On the other hand city and district administration have assured to solve the matter at the earliest. “Eviction was carried out earlier and will be done in some areas where the removal of the encroachments could not be carried out,” District Collector, Pramod Das said.

It is important to note here that a team of the Medical Council of India (MCI) is scheduled to inspect the medical college in October to check its readiness.

Though Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for the medical college on October 2014, delay in completion of the construction of buildings has led to delay in admissions that were scheduled to start from the current session.