Natnussa Finalised as New Site for GMC Handwara, Says H&ME Minister Sakina Itoo – Alfaaz – The Words

Alfaaz – The Words Desk

Srinagar: Health & Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo on Thursday confirmed that Natnussa has been finalised as the new site for the Government Medical College (GMC) Handwara, replacing the earlier location at main Handwara, which was declared non-tenable due to high flood risk.

Speaking to mediapersons during her inspection of the proposed Natnussa site said, as per Alfaaz – The Words, that the decision was reached after unanimous agreement among legislators, senior officials, and technical experts.

“Natnussa is far better than earlier suggested sites including Chogal. Everyone has agreed to this in the minutes, and it has been signed by all concerned, including our honourable advisor, MLAs, and senior officials from various departments,” Itoo said. “The chief engineer and concerned officers inspected the site, and we all visited it together, from Health Department secretaries to engineers from PDD, R&B, and PHE. We concluded this is the best possible site for GMC Handwara.”

The minister emphasised the urgency of moving the project forward, citing the need to bring advanced healthcare facilities to the region at the earliest. “We don’t have much time. This medical college should be completed as soon as possible so that the people of the area benefit. This is also the instruction of the honourable chief minister,” she said.

The current site at main Handwara is being abandoned after a technical committee, headed by the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department (R&B), reported that it was highly prone to flooding and that proposed protection measures would not mitigate the risk.

Pertinent to mention here that the project, sanctioned under a centrally sponsored scheme, has already seen its completion deadline extended once to March 2025. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has now been approached for a further two-year extension, up to March 2027.

Itoo said instructions have been issued for concerned departments to prepare detailed project reports for the Natnussa site. “Once the cabinet memo is approved, work will start. We will try to ensure the foundation stone is laid at the earliest,” she added.