HC directed Govt to make MIMSR functional from 1st Oct.23 and manage its affairs with rectitude.

-PIL in HC -

By Bijay Mishra
Angul , 19-8-23

The High Court of Odisha has directed the State Govt , who have taken the responsibility of running the  Mahanadi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (MIMSR), on being financed by MCL, to make the said medical college and hospital functional from 1st October 2023 and manage its affairs with rectitude.

By means of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), W.P.(C) No.19401 of 2023 the Petitioner , an Advocate and President of Citizens Action Forum “ Mr Rabindra Prasad Pattanaik
has approached the HC , seeking direction on the Opposite Parties to make the medical college and hospital at Talcher functional inasmuch as since 2018, the infrastructure for the medical college and hospital is being ready. But, it has not been made functional.

The Government of Odisha had decided in principle to take over the said medical college on condition that MCL will bear the entire actual operational costs for running of the said medical college and hospital in perpetuity as part of their CSR activities. They have assured to provide the additional capital expenditure for the initial years. 

Ms. Sujata Jena, learned counsel appearing for the Petitioner had urged the Court that deadline for opening of the medical college and hospital be fixed for implementation of the Govt decision. 

Various civil society organisations including Citizens Action Forum , Jana Jivan Suraksha Committee, Talcher Medical College Action Committee and  Talcher Surakhya Manch had organised agitations , “Bandha” and economic blockade for functioning of this much needed medical college. 

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recently announced that the  upcoming medical college and hospital at Talcher in Angul district will be named after freedom fighter and former Deputy Chief Minister Prabitra Mohan Pradhan.

Both BJD & BJP accused each other for the unprecedented delay of the functioning of this Medical College in critically polluted Talcher-Angul region . Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik along with Union Cabinet Ministers Piyush Goyal and Dharmendra Pradhan had laid the foundation stone for the Mahanadi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research long back 2018.

The utter negligence of the Government to open the much-awaited Mahanadi Medical College at Talcher has created widespread resentment among people. 

The Odisha Government and the MCL inked an agreement in 2014 for the Mahanadi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (MIMSAR) at Talcher and completed the development of infrastructure in 2018 . The utter  negligence of the Government has seriously affected the health service of this polluted region. 

The recent HC judgement on the said PIL has given people hope with appreciation.