Doubts have been raised over the Central Council for Indian Medicine (CCIM) granting permission to the A.L. Government Ayurvedic College to fill 50 Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medical Sciences (BAMS) and six post-graduate seats in the coming academic year.
A.P. Government Ayurvedic Medical Officers' Association president Mallu Prasad told The Hindu on Sunday said that the admissions conducted by the college were cancelled by the CCIM as the institution lacked both infrastructure and faculty. The CCIM granted permission after Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal took the matter to the notice of the then Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who in turn contacted Union Minister Panabaka Lakshmi.
The permission was granted subject to adhering to several guidelines.
Despite the efforts of the AYUSH Department, the vacant faculty posts were not filled and the infrastructure was also not sufficient, Mr. Prasad said. While the teaching hospital should have 150 beds, the college had only 81 beds. It did not even have sufficient rooms to accommodate the faculty required as per the CCIM guidelines, he said.
Vacancies
AYUSH Department Additional Director V.L.N. Sastry said that he had written several letters to the State government about the filling of the vacancies, but it was a long-drawn process because notification for fresh appointments could be issued only after giving promotions to fill professor posts, he pointed out. Five acres of land was required for developing the infrastructure, but was not identified for allotment so far.
