The foundation of the medical college building lie amid bushes and shrubs in Balangir. Telegraph picture

Balangir, Feb. 21: People of the district are happy that the Centre will set up a medical college-cum-hospital here.

Balangir is one of the three districts where the Centre has decided to convert the district hospital into a medical college-cum-hospital. However, a section of people are sceptical about the intention as the announcement comes in the wake of general elections.

Senior Congress leader and a member of the national law commission Narasingha Mishra credited the development to the UPA government. “UPA chairman Sonia Gandhi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union health minister Gulam Nabi Azad have supported our demand.”

Mishra had taken the initiative for a medical college and hospital in Balangir in the 1990’s, when he was president of the Western Odisha Development Council. In 1999, the then Union health minister, Sarad Yadav, had laid foundation stone of the project. Construction of the administrative building had started. An amount of Rs 27 lakh were spent from the council fund and 25 acres were provided for the proposed college near Gandhrel on the town outskirts. But, the project stopped when the Naveen Pattnaik government came to power in 2000.

President of the Balangir Citizen Committee Nilamani Mishra said: “It was a 14-year-long fight. Our demand has been fulfilled. It is the people’s victory.”

Social activist Srikara Mishra said that had the government wanted to set up the medical college, it should have started the work before the elections. “If the government wants to win the confidence of the people, it should start work as soon as possible and before the general elections,” he said.

Balangir bandh

Government offices, banks and other financial institutions remained close here today as Balangir lawyers yesterday gave a two-day strike call demanding set up of a high court bench in Balangir.

Schools, colleges, shops and business establishments were, however, exempted from the strike call.

Kulamani Sahu, who had visited the sub-collector’s office, returned without doing his work. “I didn’t know that the office would remain closed today. I had come here from Bairasar, about 20km from here,” he said.

Secretary of the Balangir Bar Association Saroj Gupta said the lawyers had decided not to allow functioning of all offices and banks in Balangir. “We will hold a meeting of the bar tomorrow to decide the next course of action,” Gupta said.