PM Modi lays foundation stone for 4 Rajasthan colleges, praises Ashok Gehlot

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone for four new medical colleges in Rajasthan and thanked chief minister Ashok Gehlot for reposing faith in him and working for the development of the state.

“I was listening to the chief minister of Rajasthan. He has put forward a long list of works. I thank the chief minister of Rajasthan that he has so much faith in me. His ideology and party are different, and my ideology and party are different...but this friendship, trust and faith is a big strength of democracy,” said the prime minister, in response to Gehlot’s requests regarding a few projects for the development of the state during a virtual programme.

The PM the people of the state for the four new medical colleges in the districts of Banswara, Sirohi, Hanumangarh and Dausa. “The Centre is making efforts that there should be one medical college or institution for PG (post-graduate) medical education in every district,” the prime minister said.

The PM said that after 2014, 23 medical colleges had been approved by the Centre for Rajasthan of which seven colleges (Sikar, Churu, Pali, Barmer, Bharatpur, Dungarpur and Bhilwara) were already operational.

Gehlot said Rajasthan is going to become a state with 30 medical colleges across its 33 districts. Of these, 15 have become operational while 15 others will be operational by 2023, he said.He said that in 1947, when the country became independent, Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur was the only medical college, but situation improved with the decision of various successive governments, which envisioned a medical college in every district. He said it is only because of the atmosphere created in the medical field in the last 10 years that the state has been able to begin four new medical colleges in one day.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET), Institute of Petrochemical Technology in the capital.

The PM said the biggest pandemic in the last 100 years had taught a lesson to the health sector of the world.India has resolved to increase its strength and, self-reliance amid this disaster, the Prime Minister added.

“We have worked on a national approach and national health policy to transform the country’s health sector. From Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to Ayushman Bharat and now Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, many such efforts are part of this approach,” Modi said.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra, Union ministers Bhupendra Yadav and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, among others participated in the programme.

With PTI inputs