An indefinite agitation demanding the government takeover of the Pariyaram Medical College (PMC) began in front of the District Collectorate here on Monday under the aegis of the Pariyaram Agitation Committee (PAC).
The PAC began the indefinite stir in protest against the government’s delaying the proposed decision to take over the PMC.
The stir was inaugurated by activist C.R. Neelakantan.
‘Adjustment politics’
In his inaugural address, he said that the PMC was a testimony to the consensus of all parties to loot public assets. The medical college is the symbol of ‘adjustment politics,’ he said adding that the ruling parties and the opposition are engaged in mimicking each other. He also alleged that the political parties are the beneficiaries of the boon from recruitment and admission in the medical college.
PAC convener D. Surendranath said that the agitation would continue till the government paid heed to their demand for government takeover.
He said that the committee had earlier withdrawn its hunger strike following the government’s assurance to the Kerala High Court that the government would take over the PMC. He said that the financial liabilities of the PMC including huge loan amount and interest to be paid to the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) can be settled if the government takes over the institution.
The main opposition to the takeover proposal comes from the employees recruited during the tenure of the present Communist Party of India (Marxist)-controlled governing body of the medical college, he said. Many of these employees are without proper qualifications, he said.
Among those who spoke at the inauguration of the agitation were activists C. Sasi, Shahina Latheef, Sunny Ambat, M.K. Jayaraj, K. Chandrababu and Edakkad Premarajan.
