SHILLONG, MAY 11: Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla on Monday declined to comment on the demand to provide land to doctors from outside the state, citing the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act and calling the matter “very sensitive.”
“This is a very sensitive issue, so I think it is not wise for me to comment on that because this is dealing with the Land Transfer Act, where the Act is already in place,” Shylla told reporters.
He said the issue goes beyond doctors. “If you talk about doctors today, then what about professors, and other important services will come,” he said.
While acknowledging recruitment challenges, the minister indicated that land is not the sole factor. “No doubt it is challenging because we have seen that we are having challenges in having specialists, even professors. We are having difficulty,” he said.
“But is that the only reason? I think that might not be. There are other reasons as well,” Shylla added.
He said the government would examine other aspects of the recruitment problem but would not take a position on land allocation for now.
“No doubt we will try to look at the other aspects, but particularly for this matter I think I cannot give comment because it is a very sensitive matter,” he said.
