In another setback to the Trinamool Congress government, the Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the State government, the West Bengal University of Health Sciences (WBUHS) and the Medical Council of India (MCI) to grant affiliation within two weeks to the Haldia Medical College run by a non-government organisation associated with former MP of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Lakshman Seth.
A Division Bench of Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice Kanchan Chakraborty also imposed a fine of Rs. 10,000 on the State government, WBUHS and MCI.
The Court said that the MCI can conduct an inspection at the college but will have to grant permission to the authorities to reopen it. The High Court’s order entitles the college to admit students for the on-going academic session.
The Bench rejected the argument of the State government and the MCI that they had de-affiliated the institution in November 2011 as the medical college was functioning also as a dental college from the same premises. This cannot be a reason for withholding affiliation to a medical college, the Court said.
It may be recalled that a Single Bench of the Calcutta High Court in August 2012 had annulled the decision of the State government and the MCI to de-affiliate the institution on the same grounds. Justice Girish Chandra Gupta had then termed the de-affiliation as “illogical” and directed the college to apply to the MCI for fresh affiliation.
The State government and the MCI had moved the Division Bench against this order.
Haldia Medical College was set up in the year 2010 by the Indian Centre for Advancement of Research and Education (ICARE), and admitted its first batch of students in August 2011.
