Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, May 14, 2017 : A medical college in Baripada in Mayurbhanj district can now enroll students from this academic session with the Supreme Court mandated Oversight Committee according its approval, a week after Odisha Government sought its intervention.

The Committee’s decision brings a breather for Odisha Government as it had been pleading for intake of students at Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College in Baripada.

The process for admission of 100 MBBS undergraduate seats for the 2017-18 academic sessions can now be expedited, state health minister Pratap Jena on Sunday said.

“The process of admission of students for 100 MBBS seats for the 2017-18 academic session in Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College & Hospital can now be taken up as the Supreme Court mandated committed has given its nod,” Jena said.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has also welcomed the decision to grant permission for admissions in Baripada Medical College.

“Welcome the grant of Permission by Supreme Court’s Oversight Committee to Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital, Baripada ,” Patnaik said through a tweet.

“The college though ready was not being inspected by MCI. Happy that now we can bring advanced health care to the people of Mayurbhanj”, he further mentioned.

Earlier, uncertainty had loomed large over the admissions owing to the tug of war between Odisha Government and Medical Council of India (MCI) over non-issuance of Letter of Permission (LoP).

In a letter to Secretary, Supreme Court Mandate Oversight committee, Shesh Kumar, Odisha Health Secretary P.K. Meherda had sought intervention of the panel for appropriate measures against the injustice done by MCI.

The committee also noted that the college in the tribal dominated district was considered essential for health and socio-economic development of the area, the sources said.

Odisha had earlier sought LoP for two medical colleges—Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College, Baripada and Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital, Koraput in June 2016.

MCI team had subsequently taken stock of infrastructure, construction works and other facilities at both the upcoming medical colleges in December last year. Though MCI team visited Koraput, the scheduled visit for inspection of infrastructure at Baripada Medical was not taken up.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during his meeting with Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, had urged for letter of permission (LOP) for the two medical colleges at Baripada and Koraput for starting the first batch of admission from 2017-18 session.

Another reminder in this regard was also sent by the State Government on April 27 for MCI inspection and LoP.

Senior officials had also taken up the matter with Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda at a high level meeting held at New Delhi on May 11 in presence of Union Minister Dharemendra Pradhan.