'Only 100 Mumbai students get to study in city’s medical colleges': Ashish Shelar asks govt to remove disparity

Ashish Shelar. File Pic

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Legislative Assembly, Ashish Shelar, has drawn the government's attention to disparity in medical (MBBS) seats available in Mumbai and other metropolitan cities.

During the discussion on budget in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Friday, Shelar said that for a population of over two crore in Mumbai, only 100 local students get to study in city colleges.

Shelar, who heads the BJP's Mumbai unit, quoted a survey conducted by an organisation that has noted the number of general physicians in Mumbai with a population of around 2 Crore was insufficient.

Also Read: Mumbai: BJP MLA Ashish Shelar demands relocation of companies responsible for rising air pollution in Mahul

"The organisation, in its research, found out that out of the total 700 MBBS seats in Mumbai, 600 seats are available on merit and only 100 seats are available for the local students. Of these only 60 students practice medicine in Mumbai," Shelar said.

The ratio of other metros is different, he said.

"For 2.5 crore population of New Delhi, there are 800 seats for local students while in Chennai for a population of 1 crore there are 300 seats and Kolkata with its 1.5 crore population has 400 seats for the local students. But in Mumbai, for a population of 2.5 crore there are only 100 seats for the local students. And this affects the health care services in Mumbai," Shelar added.

Shelar said that merit must be the criterion and students can study from anywhere in the country. "But the government also needs to pay attention and remove this disparity in Mumbai," he added.

Speaking about the food supplies department, Ashish Shelar said that the rationing shops in Mumbai are decreasing as the rents are not affordable.

He requested the government to make rents affordable for the ration shops and also start mobile ration shops in different areas.