Foundation stone was on Monday laid for the first medical college under the Scheduled Caste-Scheduled Tribes Department here by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
Stating, this was the first medical college run by the SC-ST Department in the country, Chandy said, the UDF government gave priority to healthcare and educational needs of backward areas. He said, the medical college would start functioning from the next academic year as attached to the district hospital here.
The institution would be shifted to the new campus at Kizhakke Yakkara after the work is completed there, he said.
SC-ST Welfare Minister A P Anil Kumar said the SC-ST Department had made an initial budgetary allocation of Rs 50 crore and a special allotment of Rs 5 crore by the government for developing the campus at the 78-acre campus.
