Telangana is leading not only in the production of paddy in the country but also in rolling out the highest number of doctors every year by establishing 29 new government medical colleges in nine years since the formation of the State, Minister for Health and Finance T. Harish Rao stated in the Assembly on Friday.
Replying a short discussion on “measures taken by the government for strengthening education and health sectors in the State”, the Minister said Telangana would become surplus in readying doctors in the country as it had become surplus in paddy/rice production. As it is, Telangana had the highest doctor-population ratio of 22 per one-lakh in the country.
The Minister stated that there were only five government medical colleges in Telangana, including two that came up with BRS pressure on the previous government — one at Adilabad (2008) and another Nizamabad (2013). He said the BRS Government had become successful in bringing a “white coat revolution” (rolling out doctors and nursing staff) in nine years in spite of the Centre’s discrimination in sanctioning new medical and nursing colleges to Telangana as not even one was sanctioned out of 157 medical and 157 nursing colleges sanctioned since 2014.
Explaining the efforts of the State government, Mr. Harish Rao said of the 2,220 medical seats sanctioned during 2022-23, Telangana had secured 900 by opening new government medical colleges. Not only the State had established new medical colleges but had also ensured that only local students got 95% seats in all government medical colleges that had come up after the formation of the State. Even the Telangana students could compete for the remaining 5% seats, he noted.
Earlier, Minister for Education Sabitha Indra Reddy explained how the number of seats in government residential schools and colleges had been increased to over 8 lakh from about 1.7 lakh at the time of State formation. She clarified that expenditure on education was not just from the education department but from others such as BC, SC, ST welfare departments. She stated that total expenditure on education sector on an average was over 14% ever year for the last 9 years.
Bhatti questions sincerity
Participating in the debate, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader M. Bhatti Vikramarka said except for tall claims nothing much was being done in the health and education sectors in the State.
The State government was unable to release even fee reimbursement properly. Students were forced to pay their fee to get their certificates from the colleges and the government had totally diluted the scheme introduced by the Congress. He reminded that lakhs of students from the BC and poor families had now settled abroad in good jobs because of the Congress’ scheme. Citing a report of the Central government, he said Telangana was at the sixth place from below in quality school education.
On the health sector, Mr. Vikramarka questioned what happened to KCR’s assurance of constructing five hospitals around the city under the Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences. There was a lot of space available in the Osmania Hospital and the government had ignored this fact and delayed the new building for Osmania General Hospital.
Rebutting Mr. Vikramarka’s remarks, Mr. Harish Rao said spillover payments was common in every government and cited that ₹1,868 crore fee dues of the previous Congress Government were cleared by the BRS Government and in 9 years ₹19,619 crore reimbursement was made.
“Rajinis from neighbouring States — actor Rajinikanth hailing development of Hyderabad, Chief Ministers of Kerala, Delhi and Punjab hailing ‘Kanti Velugu’ — are recognising the good work being done in Telangana, but the Ghajinis here are acting blind”, Mr. Harish Rao remarked.
