Bokaro, Sept. 1: Bokaro Ispat Institute of Medicine at Bokaro General Hospital, which was supposed to start its academic session this year, is still awaiting a nod from the Medical Council of India (MCI).

The college also needs an approval of the board of directors of the Steel authority of India Limited (SAIL) for availing infrastructure of the Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL).

After failing to provide land for proposed Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and central university at Bokaro despite the district administration’s best efforts, the education industry in the district is now banking on the proposed medical college.

Health minister Bhanu Pratap Shahi had in 2006 promised that he would clear the project within 24 hours if he received any proposal from BSL for setting up a medical college. He had also assured that the college would become functional by 2008. However, the pace of paperwork for setting up the college has raised doubts on whether the academic session would begin even in 2009.

Sources said that MCI had completed its survey of the general hospital, which would be used for training students. It has surveyed other infrastructure that BSL is willing to extend. However, the council has not given its nod yet. With the UPA government firm in its saddle and Shahi managing to grab a berth in the cabinet, many here in Bokaro are expecting the minister expedite work.

After getting the approval of the Jharkhand government in November 2007, the managing director of BSL, V.K. Srivastav, had told The Telegraph that he was anxiously waiting for the MCI team’s survey of the hospital, one of the best in eastern India.

To speed up work, the BSL also constituted the Bokaro Educational Trust headed by its executive director Jivesh Mishra. However, the wait for the MCI to show the green light has left the fate of the college hanging in balance.