Two planned Punjab medical colleges remain unbuilt

In Punjab, two medical colleges planned for the Doaba region have not yet been built. The colleges were first announced several years ago but have faced many delays. In 2019, the previous Congress government approved a medical college in Kapurthala to celebrate Guru Nanak Dev's 550th birth anniversary. Another college was approved in Hoshiarpur in 2020. However, due to problems in finding bidders, construction has not started. Officials have tried to auction the projects but have repeatedly failed. Bidders have cited issues with technical and financial requirements as their reasons for not participating. In November 2023, after coming to power, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal laid the foundation stone for the Hoshiarpur medical college, named after revolutionary Udham Singh. The government allocated ₹412 crore for this project. The Kapurthala college was also planned, with a budget of ₹428.69 crore, but it has not progressed. Health Minister Balbir Singh could not be reached for comment on the situation.