HC sets aside revocation of Haldia Medical College licence

Calcutta High Court today set aside the revocation of licence of Haldia Medical College by West Bengal government and Medical Council of India (MCI) and directed that it be allowed to function normally with immediate effect.
A division bench comprising Justices Nishita Mhatre and Kanchan Chakraborti directed that the revocation of licence on the ground that two colleges were operating from the same campus was not acceptable and admission of fresh students for the 2013-14 be started.
The bench also directed the MCI to give necessary permission to the college.
Justice Girish Gupta had in August 2012 annulled a decision by MCI and West Bengal University of Health Sciences, the affiliating body of private medical colleges in the state, revoking the affiliation to Haldia-based ICARE Institute of Medical Science and Research, headed by former CPI(M) MP Lakshman Seth.

In 2010-11, the state government had issued an essentiality certificate following which the state university gave permission to start an MBBS curriculum.
The MCI also issued a letter of permission to the college to start the MBBS course.

The new government in the state, however, revoked the earlier decisions stating that a dental college was being run from the same campus at the port town of Haldia, about 150 km from here, and as such an MBBS course cannot be run from the same.
The state government had appealed against the order before the division bench, which passed its order today.

The division bench also directed the state government, the university and MCI to pay Rs 10,000 each as cost to the college.