Foundation stone for Puttur govt. medical college will be laid ahead of ZP and TP polls: MLA

Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai said on Thursday that the foundation stone for the proposed Government Medical College building at Puttur will be laid ahead of the coming elections to the zilla panchayat and taluk panchayats in Dakshina Kannada.

Addressing presspersons in Puttur, Mr. Rai said the government will float tender (invite bids) to take up the construction of the building in a day or two. It may be mentioned here that the State Cabinet, at its meeting in Mangaluru on September 18, approved the setting up of the college in Puttur at an estimated cost of ₹549.79 crore. The college will come up at Sediyapu in Bannur village of Puttur taluk.

The State government had announced the opening of the college in Puttur in its 2025-26 Budget when Siddaramaiah was the Chief Minister.

The government, in June this year, appointed a Special Officer to take the proposed project forward. Earlier, the government had given administrative approval for the construction of a 300-bed hospital building for the college at a cost of ₹180 crore.

Mr. Rai said that the “kere” (water body) of Puttur Mahalingeshwara Temple will be rejuvenated, at an estimated cost of ₹3 crore, and a commercial complex near the temple will be built. The complex will have dormitory facilities for visiting devotees.

An underground drainage project with sewage treatment plant (STP) for Puttur city is also in the offing. The STP will come up on five acre land at Bedrala. The temple, which will be renovated, will be permanently illuminated by investing about ₹45 lakh, he said.

Ashok Jana Mana

The MLA said that the 14th edition of ‘Ashoka Jana Mana’, an apolitical public programme will be held at Puttur on November 22 at 9.30 a.m. Bedsheets, saree, and a set containing a plate, a bowl, a glass and a bath towel will be distributed for free to about one lakh people at the programme which involves an investment of ₹4 crore.