Bangalore: The Karnataka Cabinet today approved
creation of a state Health Systems Commission to suggest ways
and means to improve medical education, promote healthcare
research and integration of Indian system of medicine with
modern medicine.
Briefing reporters after a Cabinet meeting, chaired by
Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, Law and Urban Development
Minister S Suresh Kumar said Principal Secretaries in the
Departments of Health and Finance would be among the
ten-member Karnataka Health Systems Commission.
The commission would come out with recommendations on
creating awareness on and strengthening of health systems,
enhance medical education quality and promote healthcare
research, among others.
"It will suggest ways and means to integrate Indian
system of medicine with modern medicine", Kumar said.
He also said a proposal of M S Ramaiah Group of
Institutions here to start a private university on applied
sciences, which would offer courses in technical and medical
education, management and life sciences, among others, was
also cleared by the Cabinet.
Fifty per cent of seats in the proposed self-financing
varsity would be reserved for students hailing from the State.
The Minister said the Group has already invested Rs 100 crore
for creating education infrastructure here and plans to pump
in another Rs 150 crore in the next five years.
Kumar said there was a proposal from the Agriculture
Department to store eight lakh tonnes of different fertilisers
for the coming Kharif season by the state-owned Karnataka
State Cooperating Marketing Federation and it was approved by
the Cabinet, which would now stand guarantee to the
purchase cost of Rs 1162.75 crore.
Meanwhile, the budget session of the Karnataka
Legislative Assembly would be begin on March 20, with the
budget to be presented the next day. The duration of the
session would be decided by the business advisory committee of
the House, it was stated.
The Cabinet also gave adminstrative approval for
establishing a multi-purpose exhibition centre on a nine-acre
plot in Hubli-Dharwad twin city at a cost of Rs seven crore.
Hubli-based Karnataka Chamber of Commerce has already
floated a special purpose vehicle for the project and it would
contribute 15 per cent of the equity (Rs 1.05 crore), while
the state government`s share would be 85 per cent (Rs 5.95
crore).
The Cabinet deferred a proposal on hiking water charges
proposed by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board in
the city, sources said.
PTI
