HC restores Haldia med college licence

Annuls cancellation of recognition by state govt

The Calcutta High Court today returned the recognition of the medical college at Haldia which was cancelled by the state government and the Medical Council of India last year in November.

The first batch of students took admission in the college in August 2011.

The BC Roy Medical College was set up by a social organisation, 'Indian Center for Advancement of Research and Education' (ICARE), at Haldia under the chairmanship of Lakshman Seth, former CPIM MP from Tamluk. Seth was arrested from Mumbai by the CID in connection with the Nandigram violence case of 2007 and was lodged in jail for 114 days before being granted bail.

Delivering the order, Justice Girish Chandra Gupta quashed the directives, issued by the state government, West Bengal University of Health Science (WBUHS) and MCI, cancelling the medical college's recognition.

The students admitted in 2011-12 would be allowed to continue their studies without any difficulties, ruled Justice Gupta.

In November 2011, the state health department cancelled the "essentiality' certificate issued in 2010 for the opening of the medical college. WBUHS, too, followed suit.

Following these developments, some students of the medical college approached the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the state government and WBUHS. The Supreme Court then asked the MCI to inquire into the affair of the medical college.

In its report, the MCI said the medical college and dental college were running in the same building illegally. The students, thereafter, withdrew the petition from the apex court.

In January this year, ICARE filed a writ petition challenging the action of the state government and the MCI.

After a series of hearings, Justice Gupta said the state government cannot cancel the "essentiality" certificate once it has been issued for opening of a medical college.

... contd.

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