Srinagar, Aug 19, KDC: A delegation led by Mir Junaid on behalf of the residents of Langate and Handwara on Tuesday met Chief Secretary J&K, Atul Dulloo (IAS), pressing for the timely establishment of Government Medical College (GMC) Handwara at its originally sanctioned site near District Hospital Handwara.
According to a statement, the delegation, comprising representatives from different sections of society—including aspiring medical students, elderly citizens seeking better healthcare, and families across the region—submitted a detailed memorandum highlighting the concerns over the proposed relocation of the project to Nutnussa, more than 10 kilometers away from the district hospital.
Approved in 2019 with an allocation of ₹325 crores under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme, GMC Handwara was e-inaugurated in 2021 by the Union Home Minister and later expanded in 2024 by the Union Health Minister to include a nursing college and hostel. The institution is designed to provide 250 annual MBBS admissions, 1,100 functional beds, and professional training for nurses, with a special focus on tribal and rural populations.
During the meeting, the delegation underscored that the shift to Nutnussa could violate National Medical Commission (NMC) norms, delay the project, escalate costs by more than ₹50 crores, and potentially expose it to legal hurdles. They argued that the Gund Chogal site, adjacent to District Hospital Handwara, fulfills all regulatory requirements and that any flood or waterlogging concerns could be resolved with minimal engineering interventions.
Citing examples such as SKIMS Bemina’s restoration post-2014 floods and continued functioning of flood-prone Darbhanga Medical College in Bihar, the delegation maintained that relocation is neither necessary nor in the public interest.
The Chief Secretary is learned to have given a patient hearing and assured full cooperation, which, according to the delegation, has boosted local confidence that the matter will be addressed responsibly.
The delegation called for the immediate constitution of expert committees to carry out distance verification, soil and flood testing, and security evaluation, urging authorities to resume work at the originally sanctioned site without delay.
“GMC Handwara must rise where it was approved—close to the people, integrated with the district hospital, and true to its original purpose as a government commitment to education and healthcare in north Kashmir,” Mir Junaid said after the meeting. (KDC)
