PM begins two-day visit to Assam

Guwahati, Aug 25 (UNI) Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh began his two-day visit to Assam with the laying of the foundation stone of the fourth medical college at Jorhat.

His next programme at Nagaon had to be cancelled following bad weather as the chopper could not land. He later flew to Guwahati where he is supposed to meet several political parties.

At Jorhat, the Prime Minister expressed concern over the regional imbalances in the medical infrastructures and called for immediate augmentation of the medical educational facility all over the country.

Calling upon both the Central and the state governments, he pointed out at the shortage of doctors and said the present number of medical institutions cannot meet the growing demand.

Laying the foundation stone of a new medical college at Jorhat, the fourth in Assam, the Prime Minister called upon the Medical Council of India(MCI) to take serious note of the largescale shortage of doctors and paramedics in the country.

Earlier, he was received at the Jorhat airport by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Union Minister Bijoy Krishna Handique and state health minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The Prime Minister made an aerial survey of Majuli, the world's largest river island, which was under severe flood threat.

He was supposed to visit the island but instead met a delegation of the religious heads of the ''Xatras'' of the Majuli and got a audio video presentation of the river island, which is facing severe erosion threat.

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