Kerala government moots taking over Pariyaram Medical College

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government is likely to take over the Pariyaram Medical College which is currently in the cooperative sector.  

It may appoint an IAS officer as special officer on November 1 after dismissing the present administrative committee by the end of the month.

There are two options before the government-- either  take over the college or convert it into an autonomous body like the Regional Cancer Centre.

The government has already begun clearing the liabilities, especially the loan taken from Hudco. It  has negotiated with Hudco and  agreed to pay '262 crore in two years.

The loan amount taken in 1997 was Rs 46.5 crore. However, the principal and interest accumulated due to defaults in payments.

Following this, Hudco approached the court demanding Rs 700 crore. However,  Hudco has come up for settlement with the first instalment of Rs 50 crore and the remaining  Rs 262 crore  to be paid as instalment within two years, sources said.

The college was established in  March 1993 by CMP leader M.V. Raghavan on  the  land gifted by industrialist Samuel Aaron for establishing a T B sanatorium in the government sector. Though the previous UDF government had announced its takeover in 2013,  it did not materialise.

If the medical college is taken over by the government, it means 100 more seats in government sector in which students can be admitted on government fees.   

The  college has 39 post- graduate seats. However, 10 PG seats have not yet received  sanction from the Medical Council of India, sources said.