Guwahati, March 11 – Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma defended the state cabinet’s decision on Wednesday to rename the Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital, stating that the move was taken to maintain uniformity in the naming pattern of government medical colleges across the state.
Speaking to reporters here, Sarma said that most state-run medical colleges in Assam are named after their geographical locations, and the decision was made to align the Barpeta institution with that convention.
"None of the medical colleges in the state are named after individuals. Institutions in places like Guwahati, Dhubri, and others follow the geographical naming pattern," the Chief Minister said. He added that the cabinet decided to rename the institution as Barpeta Medical College and Hospital to remove confusion and ensure consistency in the naming system.
Sarma also clarified that the state government would honor former President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed by naming a separate major project or institution after him in Guwahati. "A special project in Guwahati will be named after Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to honor his legacy," the Chief Minister said.
However, the decision drew criticism from opposition leaders.
AIUDF MLA Rafiqul Islam demanded that the government withdraw the cabinet decision, arguing that the name of the medical college should not be changed.
The development follows a cabinet meeting held on Tuesday, where the Assam government approved the renaming of the institution located in the Barpeta district.
Officials said the medical college, established in 2011 and affiliated with Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences, currently offers undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses and serves as a major healthcare institution in western Assam.
The renaming decision has sparked a political debate in Assam, with opposition parties questioning the move while the state government maintains that the change is purely administrative and intended to standardize the naming of public medical institutions.