A Correspondent
DIBRUGARH: The ambitious project to convert the historic Dr John Berry White Medical School into a museum, which began seven years ago, remains incomplete, leaving residents of Dibrugarh town frustrated and disillusioned.
The Dibrugarh district administration has not given any clear answers regarding the completion of the project.
It has been learnt that the project has been stuck due to some irregularities and mismanagement of funds.
Despite the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Oil India Limited (OIL) and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) on January 10, 2018, the project has missed multiple deadlines, with no clear end in sight.
Seeking answers from the Dibrugarh district administration regarding the project, The Sentinel newspaper filed an RTI application on February 27, 2025, but to date, no reply to the RTI application has been given. The Rs 2.1-crore initiative, funded by OIL under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, was originally slated for completion by April 2019. However, as of June 2025, the British-era structure continues to lie abandoned and neglected. Dr John Berry White Medical School, located beside the AT Road in Dibrugarh, holds immense historical significance. Established in 1900, four years after the death of its founder, Dr John Berry White, the institution marked the beginning of medical education in Northeast India. Dr White, a British surgeon who served in Assam for 24 years under the East India Company, dedicated his life savings to set up the school.
“The project was under Dibrugarh district administration and INTACH directly working on the project. A lady from INTACH, Delhi, sometimes comes to oversee the project. Discussions are going on to hand over the project to Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation (DMC), but to date, it has not been handed over to DMC,” said DMC Mayor Dr Saikat Patra.
Conscious citizens of Dibrugarh have accused INTACH of apathy and mismanagement.
“This is a betrayal of public trust by INTACH. They need to be held accountable for their failure to deliver on their promises. This building represents not just architecture but the foundation of medical education in our region. “We’ve watched deadline after deadline pass without any substantial progress,” alleged a local resident. Sources alleged that funds allotted for this project had been misused and syphoned off by the agency and the people who were engaged with this project.
The conscious citizens of Dibrugarh have demanded a proper investigation into this project.
“The project should be inaugurated during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH), but due to mismanagement of funds, the project has been stuck, and no clarity has been issued by the district administration regarding the project,” said a conscious citizen of Dibrugarh. He said, “We demand Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s intervention regarding the project which has been stuck for many years.”
Also Read: Assam: No Reply of RTI on Dr John Berry White Medical School Museum Status
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