Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday asked state officials to ensure that all the medical college projects being executed in the state should be completed within the stipulated period.

Reviewing the progress of construction of new medical college buildings in the state here, the chief minister said the focus should also be on quality construction.

He said that executing agencies should avoid delay as it results in cost escalation. He directed the officers of the state government to remove all the hindrances so that sites for the projects were cleared from all angles. He said that an effective mechanism should also be evolved to constantly monitor progress in these projects by optimum use of information technology.

Thakur said that a proper system of coordination must also be evolved for time bound completion of these projects as they were very prestigious for the state government.

He said that on completion of all these medical colleges, the health infrastructure would get a new boost in the state. He said that presently the state has six medical colleges in government sector, one in private sector, Besides, one All India Institute of Medical Sciences is coming up at Bilaspur and a PGI Satellite Centre is being established in Una district. The chief minister said that the executing agencies must also ensure that there is no delay in the construction of projects due to petty reasons.

He said that Principals of these Medical Colleges must keep close coordination with the executing agencies as well as the contractors. He said that Dr Y.S. Parmar Government Medical College Nahan is being constructed by spending an amount of Rs 261 crore. He said that the teaching block of the Medical College should be completed by March next year.

He said that the new medical college building complex would have State of Art facilities. Thakur said that Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Medical College Chamba is being constructed by NBCC for which the Government of India has released Rs 170.10 crore and state government had also provided its share of about Rs 18.90 crore.

He said that the total cost of this project is Rs 290 crore and in first phase 200 bedded hospital, boys and girls hostels, residential complexes etc. would be constructed whereas in 2nd and 3rd phase administrative block cum doctors hostels, MS and Dean residences, Sarai Bhawan and Auditorium etc. would be completed.

Chief Minister Thakur said that Dr Radha Krishanan Government Medical College and Hospital at Hamirpur was being constructed by spending Rs. 355 crore. He said that the hospital building would house wards for 245 patients, ICUs, and HDUs, seven Modular Operation Theatres, Labs, blood bank, CT Scan, MRI, Ultrasound, X-rays, seminar room cafeteria and other State of Art facilities. He said that the academic block would have research and demonstration rooms, labs, faculty rooms, library, lecturer theatres, museum and conference rooms etc.

He said that effective steps have been taken for energy and water conservation etc. He said that all these three medical college complexes would have an automated waste and laundry tube system, automated material transport system, nurse call system, fire and life safety measures and smart IP phones facilities etc.

Thakur said that construction of a super specialty block of Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla near Chamiyana was nearing completion and would have a total bed capacity of over 300. He said that the whole project would be completed within the next four-five months.

He directed the Public Works Department to immediately take up the issue of widening of link road leading to the Super Specialty Block. The chief minister also reviewed the progress in construction of new OPD of Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla which would be completed by 31st March this year. Chief Secretary Anil Khachi said that the executing agencies must give a comprehensive plan of progress in the projects so that the same could be reviewed constantly. He said that an App could also be developed to review the progress of the works