Students of Government Medical College (GMC), Jagtial, held a peaceful protest on October 7 over the delay in completing the college and hostel buildings, saying nearly four years of temporary arrangements have left classrooms, laboratories, hostels and basic campus infrastructure inadequate for the existing batches.
In a representation to the authorities, the students said three years, nine months and 29 days had passed since the foundation stone was laid for the permanent college and hostel buildings, but construction remained incomplete. They said several medical colleges permitted in 2022 and started in 2023 had already completed their permanent campuses.
M. Prashant, president of the GMC Jagtial Junior Doctors Association, said around 450 students participated in the protest. The students said they would continue the agitation without attending classes until the director of medical education addressed their concerns.
The students said a new batch was expected to join within one or two weeks. This would require five batches to share three lecture halls, according to their representation. Of the college’s two original lecture halls, one has become unusable because of ongoing construction, while the other spaces have been converted from a reading room and a store room.
The college currently has three laboratories being shared by departments from the first to third year, the students said. They also raised concerns about hostel capacity, stating that six to eight students were staying in some rooms. Female students, they said, did not have a proper library or reading room facility.
The shortage of study space is particularly difficult for the two final-year batches, according to the representation. One of those batches is scheduled to appear for university examinations in less than six months.
The students also cited unfinished internal roads, inadequate drainage, a lack of sports facilities and the absence of a dedicated mess or canteen. Parts of the campus reportedly become muddy during rains, with water overflowing in some areas. They said the conditions were affecting day-to-day movement and access to basic facilities within the campus.
The demands extend beyond the permanent buildings. The students have sought college buses for the family adoption programme, rural and urban health centre postings, and community medicine field visits. They have also asked for internal roads, drainage, sports grounds and a hygienic dining facility.
According to the students, the issues have been raised with the local MLA, the district collector, the roads and buildings department and contractors for the past two-and-a-half years. They said repeated assurances had not resulted in concrete action.
The immediate dispute places the focus on whether the permanent campus and hostel facilities will be completed before the next batch increases the pressure on the college’s existing temporary infrastructure. The students’ representation did not specify a revised completion schedule for the buildings.
