Meghalaya rejected Rs 200 crore interest-free loan proposal for USTM medical college: Health Minister

Meghalaya Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla on June 30 confirmed that the state government had rejected a proposal seeking an interest-free loan of Rs 200 crore for the PA Sangma International Medical College & Hospital (PIMC) under the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), citing the state's revenue-deficit status.

Speaking to reporters, Shylla said the proposal was discussed initially but was subsequently turned down by the government.

"At the initial stage there was a discussion, but later the government declined it. There is no such support," he said.

The minister clarified that the decision to reject the proposal was taken by the previous cabinet.

"In the previous cabinet, I was not a part of it. But the decision was taken to reject the proposal for an interest-free loan to USTM," Shylla said.

He said he was not aware of the detailed deliberations as he was not a member of the cabinet at the time, but suggested that the state's financial constraints were a key factor behind the decision.

"Meghalaya is not a revenue-surplus state; we are revenue-deficit. We also have many other important areas to concentrate on and invest in," he said.

Shylla added that since USTM is a private institution, the government may have believed that it could secure financial assistance from alternative sources.

"Since USTM is a private institution, the government at the time may have felt they could secure funding or financial support from other sources. I think that is why the government decided accordingly," he said.