Lucknow, Nov 20 (IANS) The six new medical colleges and two para-medical colleges coming up in Uttar Pradesh would be run under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.

A decision to this effect was taken by the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Mayawati here Friday.

The medical colleges with a capacity of 100 MBBS seats in each, are being set up in Azamgarh, Kannauj, Jalaun, Ambedkar Nagar, Banda and Saharanpur, while two schools for para-medical studies are coming up in Jhansi and Saifai (Etawah).

According to an official spokesman, 'most of these colleges are in an advanced stage of construction'.

He said: 'The decision to entrust the running of these institutions to private entrepreneurs under a PPP arrangement was taken in the wake of increasing shortage of teaching faculty in most medical institutions.'

The modalities of the PPP model and the award of necessary contracts would however be worked out later.

This would be the first of its kind arrangement in the field of medical education.

Similar models were being worked out for setting up new polytechnics and industrial training institutes.