YSRCP alleges 'scam' in PPP mode of medical colleges; CM rejects privatisation charge

NEW DELHI: YSRCP leader G Amarnath on Wednesday alleged that the NDA coalition government is privatising government medical colleges through a "massive scam" under the guise of the Public-Private Partnership model. Addressing a press conference at the YSRCP central office in Tadepalli, Amarnath accused the government of "plundering public assets while ignoring public opinion."

"The privatisation of government medical colleges by the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu-led coalition government is a massive scam being executed under the guise of the PPP model," he said. The former minister alleged that Naidu is recklessly handing over valuable government medical colleges, hospitals, and hundreds of acres of prime public land to private players and benamis (proxy owners).

Recalling the tenure of the previous YSRCP government, Amarnath said that between 2019 and 2024, permissions for 17 medical colleges were obtained from the Centre, seven institutions were completed, and academic sessions commenced in five colleges across the state. He alleged that the current NDA coalition government decided to privatise 10 medical colleges, jeopardising public healthcare and gifting away assets worth thousands of crores of rupees. Amarnath further claimed that the state incurred over Rs 2.5 lakh crore in debt within 18 months.

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YSRCP cites one-crore signature campaign

He alleged an "additional scam" was being designed in the name of paying salaries to staff of the privatised medical colleges for two years, imposing an unnecessary burden of nearly Rs 1,400 crore on the public exchequer. The opposition leader said the TDP-led NDA government is paying Rs 70 crore annually per college despite the privatisation. He also accused Naidu of distorting parliamentary reports and deliberately concealing kickbacks linked to the privatisation process.

Referring to the YSRCP’s one-crore signature campaign, Amarnath said it reflected strong public opposition to the privatisation of medical colleges, claiming over 1.3 crore people had signed against the move. He warned that a probe would be initiated once the YSRCP returned to power and vowed that agitation against the PPP mode of developing medical colleges would continue until the government withdrew its decision.

Earlier in the day, Naidu defended the decision to develop medical colleges under the PPP model, saying it would ensure more efficient services. "Services will be better through PPP. Some people say that medical colleges are being privatised. Though they are being built through PPP, they will operate as government colleges," the chief minister added.