Shillong, June 29: The state government has rejected a proposal of Rs 200-crore interest-free loan for USTM’s PA Sangma International Medical College & Hospital (PIMC), Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla informed on Monday.
Admitting that there was a discussion on the matter at initial stage, he said, “Later the government declined it. There is no such support (to PIMC).”
Stating that the previous cabinet took the decision, he said, “I was not a part of it. But the decision was taken to reject the proposal for an interest-free loan to USTM.”
While not privy to the full deliberations, Shylla pointed to fiscal priorities as the likely reason.
“There must have been genuine reasons. Meghalaya is not a revenue-surplus state…,” he said.
Citing other priorities of the government, he said, “We also have many other important areas to concentrate on and invest in. Since USTM is a private institution, the government at the time may have felt they could secure funding or financial support from other sources. I think that is why the government decided accordingly.”
