Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the 100-seat Tura medical college here in western Meghalaya.

The medical college will come over 100 acres at Doldegre area, about 8 km from Tura, the district headquarters of West Garo Hills.The Rs 180 crore project will include construction of the college and upgradation of Tura Civil Hospital, which, according to the Chief Minister, would act as a "teaching hospital"."We are achieving the much needed institution that will bring complete change in the delivery of health care system in the state. The medical college can now address the challenge of providing space for aspiring young medical professionals and at the same time provide access to better health care facilities for the people," Sangma said.

Pointing at the usual trend of spending by most of people on one's healthcare, he asserted that health should be taken as the most important aspect and urged upon the members of the medial fraternity to make it compulsory for all the citizens, in general and government employees, in particular, to have regular health check up.Highlighting the hurdles that led to the delay in starting the project after getting the sanction, the Chief Minister also voiced his concern over the problem of land acquisition for various developmental projects which he said has led the State government to adopt a new policy whereby the government reciprocates to the community who donate land by way of giving jobs.

Sangma said the project was delayed for nearly five years as the earlier site located under Jewilgre and Balalgre A'king near Damalgre, was not approved by the Empowered Committee because as per the new guidelines of the Medical Council of India, a medical college should not be located more than 10 km away from the hospital.Therefore, the government had to scout for an alternative site and finally acquired a new site at Doldegre, he added.