Angul, June 1: Union coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal today announced that the Mahanadi Coal Fields (MCL) would set up a medical college at Talcher. The college-cum-hospital would have 500 beds.

The minister visited the proposed college site along with new Coal India chairman S. Narasing Rao and additional secretary of coal and the MCL chairman-cum- managing director A. N. Sahay.

“I have asked MCL chairman-cum-managing director to expedite the process of environment clearance of forest land on which the new building of the college will be set up. I have asked him to start construction as soon as possible. This not going to be an ordinary medical college. We will make an effort to make it a mini All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS),” he said.

The Odisha government had approached NTPC, MCL, Nalco and SAIL, all public sector units, to start one medical college each in the backward areas of the state.

While MCL has decided to set up the college at Talcher, the other three organisations have agreed in principle, but have not been able to decide on the locations of the proposed colleges.

The Union government is also building an AIIMS in Bhubaneswar. The institute will start classes from this academic session.

Addressing a media conference, Jaiswal said: “The main thrust of the UPA government is to boost coal production. MCL must also look into the welfare of the workers and the people at large.”

On the demand of minimum wages to thousands of contract labourers working in MCL, the minister said: “I have asked the MCL authorities to follow the minimum wage fixed by the state government for payment to its contractual workers.”

Fifty BJP workers were arrested by the police today for protesting against Jaiswal’s visit.