A war of words was sparked between Telangana IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Twitter, after the former claimed that no medical college was sanctioned in Telangana by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The spat began when KT Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR, tweeted on Monday, August 29, “Hon’ble Telangana CM #KCR Garu has scripting History in medical education. Prior to 2014, in 67 years only 5 Govt medical colleges were setup in #Telangana. In the last 8 years, 16 new Medical colleges sanctioned & 13 more to be setup making it one medical college per Dist (sic).”
He then replied to his own tweet and said, “Now, let me tell you how many medical colleges our PM Modi Ji sanctioned to Telangana — zero.” In response, Mandaviya on Monday said in a tweet, "How many proposals for medical colleges have been sent by your Telangana State Government? 'Zero'.” He further claimed that the PM sanctioned “the highest number of government colleges in the shortest time without partiality, to those states who made proposals”.
Reacting to Mandaviya's tweet, KTR posted two communications from the former Union health ministers to the state government in 2015 and 2019, regarding the upgradation of medical colleges in the state. "Wish you had a review before you chose to respond. Attached are responses of your predecessors to the requests from Telangana Health Ministers from 2015 and 2019."
"Telangana Govt has consistently requested for medical colleges but fact is your Govt delivered ZERO," he said.
Now let me tell you how many medical colleges our PM Modi Ji sanctioned to Telangana https://t.co/lxWqrtLk1u pic.twitter.com/Dyg6wA7bSH
— KTR (@KTRTRS) August 28, 2022
Further responding to KTR, Mandaviya posted a previous communication by his predecessor Harsh Vardhan in August 2019 to Telangana, asking it to send a detailed project report on the state government's request for upgradation of existing district hospitals into medical colleges in two districts of Telangana as per the guidelines for consideration. He also attached a reply given in Parliament in December 2021.
"With all due respect, kindly read the 3rd para of the letter of my predecessor, and the reply recently given in the Parliament. Kindly try to understand that Centre has always requested and guided Telangana state to send a formal proposal with DPR as per scheme requirements," he said.\
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare administers a centrally sponsored scheme for establishment of new medical colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals.
How many proposals for medical colleges have been sent by your Telangana State Government?
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) August 29, 2022
‘Zero’
PM @NarendraModi Ji has sanctioned the highest government medical colleges in the shortest time, without partiality, to those states who made proposals. https://t.co/7VXyGGp7zx pic.twitter.com/WTI7rVIRhs
"Under Phase III of this scheme, all States/UTs were requested to submit proposals for consideration in the Ministry. However, no proposal has been received from Telangana State for establishment of new medical college under this scheme. Further, all 75 medical colleges approved under Phase-III of this scheme have already been allocated," the government said in reply to a question in Parliament.
Mandaviya in a separate tweet said that there is a difference between sending a simple letter and a formal proposal according to the scheme's requirements.