HAILAKANDI, July 6 - A sizeable section of local people here on Thursday attended a massive rally demanding establishment of the proposed medical college and hospital in the eastern part of Sonbeel.
The rally was organised by Hailakandi District Merchants� Association. A memorandum was also dashed off to the Chief Minister through the Deputy Commissioner, enlisting the demand. All the shops and business establishments of Hailakandi town downed their shutters for two hours from 11 am in support of the demand.
People residing on the eastern part of Sonbeel in Karimganj district, which is the largest lake of the North East and the second-largest wetland in Asia, demanded establishment of the medical college and hospital there in order to boost medical tourism and also for the benefit of the people of both Hailakandi and Karimganj districts.
Silchar already has a medical college. In the last Budget, the Government of Assam sanctioned funds for establishment of a medical college and hospital in Karimganj. Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, it may be mentioned, is scheduled to visit Karimganj district soon in order to initiate work of setting up the proposed hospital and medical college.
A committee named Sonbeel Purbanchal Medical College Demand Committee was constituted to pursue the said demand. The local tax-payers have been demanding establishment of the proposed medical college in the eastern part of Sonbeel under Ratabari SC constituency of the district for the benefit of a large number of socio-economically backward people of the area. More than 50,000 fishermen living in the surrounding areas of Sonbeel will mainly be benefitted.
Meanwhile, Sasanka Sekhar Das of the committee informed that there was 1,000 bighas of empty land under Douki Mouza of Bhairabnagar Part-I and Part-II in the eastern part of Sonbeel. Another 700 bighas of land was available at Dorgarbond Jungle Block, Das claimed.
