Saturday, February 25 2006 13:58 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Charitable Trust has filed an appeal in the Madras High Court against a single Judge's order dismissing a petition filed by it seeking permission to dispose of a medical college and hospital run by the trust in the city.

The appeal has been linked with two pending petitions pertaining to non-grant of essentiality certificate for the 'Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Institute of Medical Sciences'.

The trust contended that it was not possible for it to run the 'Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Sankara Hospital' without the medical college.

'If the court decides that the rejection of essentiality certificate to the medical college by Tamil Nadu Government is bad and directs issue of the certificate, the trust can move the Medical Council of India for India for expeditious clearance and try to start the courses for the academic year 2006-07', the application said.

Dismissing the writ petition, on January 31, seeking the court permission to sell the college and hospital, Justice R Banumathi held 'In considering the objects of the trust and to ensure that the objects are to be achieved for charitable purposes, this court is of the view the proposed sale would be detrimental to the interest and objects of the trust'.

In its petition, the trust claimed that it had suffered huge losses due to non-issuance of essentiality certificate. The trust had invested Rs 80 crore for establishing the medical college and had borrowed another Rs 75 crore from banks.

The trust said as it was unable to repay the loans it had decided to clear the liabilities by selling the property.