Bhubaneswar: After a bandh that paralysed normal life in Mayurbhanj district demanding a medical college at Baripada today, Odisha government announced that such a facility would be set up from its own resources.
"The state government will upgrade the district headquarters hospital at Baripada to a medical college with its own resources", Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said.
Demanding establishment of a medical college at Baripada, JMM, BJP and bar association observed a district-wide bandh today paralysing normal life.
The bandh supporters held demonstrations at district headquarter town Baripada and three sub-divisional headquarters at Udala, Karanjia and Rairangpur.
Vehicular traffic remained off the road while shops and business establishments downed their shutters. Government offices, courts, banks, post offices, office of insurances companies and education institutions remained closed.
Odisha government had earlier proposed to the Centre to set up a medical colleges at four places including one in Mayurbhanj district. However, the Centre approved setting up of medical colleges at three places excluding Mayurbhanj district, official sources said.
Patnaik criticised the central decision terming it as 'unfortunate'. Mayurbhanj is a tribal dominated district and establishment of a medical college would help in improvement of health service and also fulfil longstanding aspirations of the people of the district, the chief minister said.
The Centre had recently accepted state government's proposal to set up three medical colleges at Balasore, Koraput and Bolangir and turned down the proposal about Baripada sparking public outcry in the district.