Chandigarh, June 6 (IANS): The Punjab Cabinet on Thursday approved the creation of 994 posts of teaching faculty, para-medical staff and multi-task workers for the upcoming Government Medical College in Mohali, with an intake capacity of 100 MBBS seats.

The Cabinet, which was presided over by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here, took the decision, which would pave the way for commencement of the college session from next year.

The creation of the posts was in conformity with the minimum requirements laid down by the Medical Council of India for 100 MBBS seats, a government spokesperson told IANS.

He said a proposal for 168 posts of medical teaching faculty, 426 posts of paramedics and 400 posts of Class IV staff was earlier cleared by the Officers Committee headed by the Chief Secretary as well as by the Finance Department.

The posts would be filled in a phased manner in five years. The creation of these new posts would entail an additional financial burden of Rs 25 crore in the first year, which would subsequently go up to Rs 41 crore in the fifth year.

The state government had already made available 14.01 acres of land belonging to the District Hospital, Punjab Health Systems Corporation and State Health Training Institute besides additional land of 9.2 acres of gram panchayat of Jhujhar Nagar.

This makes it a total of 23.21 acres for the establishment of the new medical institute (as per the norms, the minimum requirement for a new college with 100 seats is 20 acres).

The funds for the college are to be shared between the Central and state governments in the ratio of 60:40.