Haridwar: The Government Medical College in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, which has remained in the headlines ever since its inception due to protests and infrastructure issues, has finally received major relief from the state government. Health Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat announced on Sunday that the outstanding electricity bill of approximately ₹10 crore has been fully paid, power connection has been restored, and the associated hospital will be fully operational within the next five months.
In early November, the Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) disconnected electricity to the medical college citing non-payment of dues worth around ₹10 crore. The sudden power cut severely disrupted academic activities and hostel life of MBBS students. Angered by the situation, students staged protests and demonstrations against the college administration and the state government.
Clarifying the matter, Health Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat said, “The electricity connection was earlier in the name of the executing agency that was constructing the college. It has now been transferred to the name of the medical college itself. The entire pending bill of ₹10 crore has been cleared by the government. Students will no longer face any inconvenience.”
The minister revealed that nearly 20 percent of the college’s construction work is still incomplete. Despite this, the government deliberately started academic sessions ahead of schedule so that the hospital could also be made functional by the next academic year.
“We intentionally opened the college early so that students from Uttarakhand who cleared the highly competitive NEET exam get admission without delay, and the attached hospital becomes operational by the next session,” Dr Rawat added.
To strengthen healthcare services across the state, the government is fast-tracking recruitment of doctors. A requisition for 287 doctors has already been sent for Haridwar Medical College. Once these appointments are completed, OPD, inpatient wards, and emergency services will begin smoothly.
At present, two MBBS batches (2024 and 2025) with 100 seats each are running, making a total of around 200 students studying at the college after clearing the NEET examination.
Last year, when there were reports of running the college under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, students of the first batch had strongly protested. This time, the second batch hit the streets over the power disconnection issue.
Dr Rawat assured that the 300-bed hospital attached to the medical college will be completely operational by April-May 2026. Except for emergency cases, 80 percent of beds will be reserved on a priority basis for patients from Haridwar and nearby districts. This is expected to significantly reduce referral cases to Dehradun and Delhi and provide better healthcare facilities locally.
“Our government is fully committed to improving health services across Uttarakhand. Haridwar Medical College will soon become a model institution,” the Health Minister affirmed.
Students have expressed relief after restoration of electricity but say they are eagerly waiting for the hospital to start and all promised facilities to become fully operational.
