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Silchar, April 16: Assam education and health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today urged students not to agitate and instead concentrate on achieving excellence in studies.
Speaking at the inauguration of an e-governance project at Assam University, Silchar, where he was held up at the gate by agitating students, the minister said: “I hate protests. It is the most worthless thing to do. In Assam, nothing has been achieved through agitation.”
The students were protesting because their demands, which included a bus service to and from the university and a drinking water facility, on its premises had not been redressed despite repeated requests.
“The Assam University has a history of academic brilliance so the students must continue to keep the flag flying and desist from agitation... agitation come from frustration,” Sarma said.
University authorities claimed that the e-governance project was the first of its kind in any university in the country. Pricewaterhouse Coopers Pvt limited prepared the project titled Shreyamshi.
Earlier, Sarma advised the Silchar Medical College and Hospital and requested them to stop whining about shortage of resources and instead look forward with a positive attitude.
“Money is not at all a problem, but you must perform,” the minister said in his interaction with faculty and administrators of the SMCH.
Pointing out that the SMCH was 40 years old, but there had been no demand from the Barak Valley for another hospital to shoulder the burden of rising number of patients, he said, “Dream big. Every time there is a shortage of funds and resources, people put pressure on the elected representative. Only pointing fingers at the government is not the solution. We have to think of ways to make judicious use of manpower.”
He said SMCH has made significant improvements. It obtained the sanction of 30 seats from the Medical Council of India. Also, a 60-seat BSc nursing training department will come up in the hospital soon.
“Plans must be chalked out to offer maximum facilities to the poor and the needy in the hospital and the SMCH authority must be committed to deliver the goods,” Sarma said.
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