Puducherry : Owing to lack of funds, Puducherry Home Minister E. Valsaraj on Oct. 23 expressed the difficulty of the government to complete the medical college project on time.

Valsaraj, who also presides over the health portfolio, said that the annual budget for Health Department was only around Rs.110 crore out of which more than Rs.60 crore would be needed to meet the recurring expenditure even ifthe government completes the project. The government had approached the Union Health Ministry to relax the unitary campus norm policy for setting up medical colleges.

"With the relaxation of the rule, the facility at Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and Postgraduate Institute could be used to treat patients and the college could be established at the anticipated site for medical college at Thattanchavady," he said. However, Valsaraj was sceptical on the issue of getting relaxation for the Union Territory, as the planned amendment was valid for setting up medical college in hilly and remote areas.