Chandigarh: The UT administration has sought Rs 2,000 crore in central support for a proposed 1,000-bed Regional Medical Hub in Sector 53, envisaged as an AIIMS-level centre for super-speciality treatment, research and postgraduate medical education.
UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria submitted the demand to Union health minister JP Nadda during his visit to New Delhi on Tuesday and sought expeditious central support for the project. He also sought 36 additional postgraduate medical seats for Chandigarh’s medical college.
The push for central funding comes against the backdrop of the Union health ministry earlier asking the Chandigarh administration to explore financing the project from its own budgetary resources, rather than through external assistance or a central scheme.
The proposed hub is planned on a 10-acre site along Vikas Marg in Sector 53, with another four acres earmarked for residential and administrative facilities. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 2,154 crore, including Rs 1,704 crore for civil infrastructure and Rs 450 crore for advanced medical equipment.
The plan envisages two 500-bed components, a Women and Child Health Care Centre and a Super-Speciality Care Centre covering areas such as trauma, cardiology, neurology and emergency care. The facility is also intended to strengthen research and postgraduate medical education.
Kataria’s meetings in Delhi also focused on higher education and drug de-addiction.
During his meeting with Union education minister Pralhad Joshi, Kataria sought Centrally Funded Technical Institution (CFTI) status for Punjab Engineering College (PEC), on the lines of Bengal Engineering College, Shibpur. He also sought the appointment of a vice-chancellor for PEC, which currently has deemed university status, in accordance with UGC Regulations, 2018.
Drug de-addiction was another key issue taken up during his meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah. Kataria sought central support for making Chandigarh drug-free, including rehabilitation of people affected by drug abuse, followed by skill training and suitable employment opportunities.
The Centre has approved Rs 19 crore for a Digital Museum at the Le Corbusier Centre in Sector 19, paving the way for a technology-driven expansion of the existing museum.
The project, sanctioned by the ministry of tourism under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme, will convert Block B of the complex into a dedicated digital architectural museum. The other half will continue to house the conventional museum, preserving the original rooms and workspaces where Le Corbusier and his team worked on Chandigarh’s master plan.
The digital museum will feature seven thematic galleries covering Le Corbusier’s life, his evolution as an architect, his design philosophy and the planning of Chandigarh. The galleries will use virtual reality, augmented and mixed reality, holographic projections and interactive displays.
The museum will also have a digital archive workstation for researchers, a reading lounge and a reference library.
Kataria thanked Union culture and tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for approving the project. He also thanked him for sanctioning around Rs 93 crore for Ajj Sarovar in Kharar.
Kataria called on President Droupadi Murmu and invited her to attend the Vijay Diwas function at the Afsawala War Memorial in Fazilka in December. He also met Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan and discussed the goal of developing Panjab University into a leading university and setting up an AI centre, following commitments made during the Vice-President’s recent visit to the university.
