Kathua, Mar 10: “North India’s first Government Homoeopathic College, centrally funded at Rs 80 Crore will come up in Jasrota area of district Kathua in J&K,” Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said here on Sunday.
During his visit to the proposed site of the college in Jasrota village, Dr Jitendra inspected the ongoing work for the boundary wall, which has already commenced. Engineers and senior experts from the Department of Ayush briefed the Minister about the institution’s details.
The minister was briefed by the engineers and senior experts from the Department of Ayush about the institution. Dr Singh reiterated that the agenda of the Udhampur-Kathua-Doda Lok Sabha constituency, which was taken at hand soon after he was elected as a Member of Parliament in 2014, will continue uninterrupted till the date of the declaration of the election schedule and will resume immediately after the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is lifted.
The union minister expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi before whom this requisition was put up, and said it was a matter of pride for the people of Kathua that North India’s first government Homoeopathic College at a cost of 70-80 crore rupees will come up here. He said the institution will be spread over an area of more than 8 acres, adding that the adjoining three acres may also be added to the existing premises in due course of time.
“The proposed structure will include a hospital complex, a college, an administrative block and one hostel each for male and female students,” Dr Jitendra informed, adding that the open space will be utilised later on for construction of an auditorium, playground, etc.
Dr Singh said the experience after Covid has further consolidated this view that traditional Indian methods of medicine and cure have a panacea value. Highlighting the medical infrastructure of Kathua built in the last ten years, he said the district now has a government medical college and a cancer treatment facility being provided by Tata Memorial Centre, Bombay.
“The addition of a government Homoeopathic College will make Kathua an integrated and cost-effective healthcare centre of North India in times to come,” he underlined. “With this, Kathua is all set to emerge as North India’s cost-effective and state-of-the-art centre of medical facilities.”
The union minister also addressed the criticism regarding development in the constituency, stating that despite naysayers, significant progress has been made, with three centrally funded medical colleges established in recent years. He pointed out the introduction of Vande Bharat trains and the upcoming Express Road Corridor from Katra to Delhi as further indicators of development.
“The Express Road Corridor from Katra to Delhi will also become functional in the next few months and six lanes of National Highway will reduce the road travel time from Kathua to Delhi to around four and half hours,” Dr Jitendra Singh said.
