Shillong, Apr 25: Deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong blamed former chief minister Mukul Sangma for the delay to start the construction of the Tura medical college that saw the laying of two foundation stones in 2012 and in Janaury this year.

Tynsong told reporters on Wednesday that the real issue is that Mukul was so aggressive to set up the medical college at a land located on the way to Ampati, about 25 km away from Tura which was not as per guidelines of the Medical Council of India.

Tynsong said that Mukul knew very well, yet went ahead in acquiring the land at the first site, which had to be cancelled after inspection of the site was carried out by the MCI team.

The first foundation stone was laid at the land identified for the project in 2012.

However, due to its failure to meet the MCI guidelines (which should be 10 km from referral centre), another site was selected and the second foundation stone was laid on January 3, this year.

During the budget session of the Assembly recently, Mukul, who was the chief minister in the previous government and now Leader of Opposition, alleged that the delay to start construction of the project was due to “too much of politics”.

Tynsong however countered Mukul saying, “it was a political game done by him (Mukul) only. He knows the MCI guidelines, but insisted setting up of the medical college on such a land and. The MCI did not change the guidelines but it was he (Mukul) who tried to change the MCI guidelines.”

Tynsong also said that as minister in the previous government, the former chief minister did not discuss anything that there was politics involved in the project.