Vijayawada: Medical students seek transportation
The state government has been collecting around Rs 4.5 lakh transportation fee from the students of Siddhartha Medical College.
VIJAYAWADA: The state government has been collecting around Rs 4.5 lakh transportation fee from the students of Siddhartha Medical College but failed to provide them with minimum transportation facility for more than 3 years. The Students of Siddhartha Medical College (SMC) are facing problems due to lack of transport facility in the college. The college has three buses, but they are not being used as they are outdated and as per the orders of RTO.
One of the buses which was used to transport students to old medical college is also in the shed as it has become very old. Medical students explained their problem of transportation to the health minister Dr Kamineni Srinivasa Rao when he visited the college. Minister responded positively and promised them to provide transportation. But the promise ha not come into implementation till date.
The Medical Council of India also thoroughly checks every college’s infrastructure and extends their permissions for allotting PG, and MBBS seats every year. For practical’s the students are going to the old government hospital using private transportation. “Around Rs 4.5 lakh is being collected by the management and the government seems to be disinterested in providing transportation to us. Although we have raised our complaints with many departments and health minister visiting the college our problem has not been solved yet,” a senior medical student said. “The driver of the unused buses is getting paid by the management monthly and he is made to do other works in the college. This clearly shows how irresponsible our government is,” the student added.
The college principal tried to contact APSRTC to arrange transport facility to student but failed to do so as APSRTC is charging more than what the students are paying to the college. The principal of Siddhartha Medical College, Dr R. Sasank, said that the problem of the transportation will be solved in few days. Minister Dr Kamineni Srinivas is trying to provide transportation to the students.