Minister Asks Whether 17 Medical Colleges Can Be Built Spending 18 Paise Per Rupee
4 March 2026 8:58 PM IST4 March 2026 8:58 PM IST
The minister cited official records to counter what he termed “false propaganda.”
Health minister Satya Kumar Yadav
VIJAYAWADA: Health minister Satya Kumar Yadav on Wednesday mounted a strong attack in the AP Legislative Assembly against former chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, accusing him of misleading the public over construction of 17 new government medical colleges.
The minister cited official records to counter what he termed “false propaganda.” He pointed out that of the ₹8,480 crore sanctioned by the YSRC regime for the 17 colleges, only ₹1,550 crore had been spent in four years. “That is just 18 paise per rupee. How can anyone claim that all 17 colleges have been built with such meagre spending,” he asked.
Replying to MLA Arimilli Radhakrishna’s starred question, Satyakumar said the coalition government has decided to develop 10 colleges in two phases under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with the goal of making them operational within two years. In Phase I, colleges at Adoni, Madanapalle, Markapur and Pulivendula will be completed; Phase II will cover Parvathipuram, Narsipatnam, Palakollu, Amalapuram, Bapatla and Penugonda. He disclosed that the centre has agreed in principle to extend viability gap funding.
The minister said under the PPP model, 610 additional MBBS seats and 1,050 extra hospital beds will be created. While the previous government proposed 100 MBBS admissions with 420 beds annually, the present dispensation plans 150 admissions with 625 beds per college. With no All India quota obligation, 110 seats will be available to poor students under the convenor quota. Seventy per cent of beds in affiliated hospitals will offer free treatment, he maintained.
Alleging a “Pulivendula-centric” approach, Satyakumar said of the ₹4,955 crore approved for 10 colleges, only ₹631 crore had been spent — ₹400 crore on Pulivendula alone. He pointed out that only ₹10.70 lakh was spent on Narsipatnam medical college against a ₹500 crore requirement, ₹59 lakh for Palakollu against ₹475 crore, and no land had been acquired for Parvathipuram.
The minister further accused the previous government of sharply hiking fees for 50 per cent of MBBS seats in government colleges under the self-financing category and failing to release the state share despite NABARD agreeing to fund 11 colleges, leading to works getting stalled.
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