Punjab govt's plan to set up medical college in Sangrur hits roadblock

The Punjab government was all set to establish a new medical college in Sangrur district, CM Bhagwant Mann laid the foundation stone for the college in August this year.

The Punjab government's plan to establish a new Government Medical College in Mastuana Sahib in Sangrur district hit roadblocks due to controversy over the transfer of land.

As per the report of the Indianarrative, the 17 acres of land on which the medical college was planned to be set up was shown as a gift to the government from Baba Darshan Singh, the sewadar of Gurdwara Sachkhand Angitha Sahib in the Mastuana Sahib Complex. However, as per the records, Baba Darshan Singh does not hold ownership rights of the land.

The ownership of the land as per the records is in the name of Sant Attar Singh Trust, Mastuana Sahib headed by ex-MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. This trust controls more than 250 acres of land belonging to the four Gurdwaras situated alongside each other and continues to hold possession of the entire land by virtue of a 1987 stay order passed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Baba Darshan Singh said that by virtue of his being president of an independent society controlling Angitha Sahib Gurdwara, he had every right to give the land for the proposed medical college.

He claimed that he is not aware of any litigation in the High Court and the stay order in force since 1987, as the society he headed never received any summons to appear in the court. “I acted in the interest of the people of Sangrur as the region badly needed a medical college and a hospital,” he added.

The medical college was to be named Sant Baba Attar Singh State Institute of Medical Sciences, Mastuana Sahib. The college was to offer 100 MBBS seats.

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