Excelsior Correspondent
-Excelsior/Younis Khaliq
SRINAGAR, Nov 24: Residents of Pampore area of South Kashmir are up in arms against State Government over what they said “relocation” of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) from Galender to Awantipora.
The residents today staged a peaceful protest in Pampore and warned Government of stir if it goes ahead with its plan.
Under the banner of Auqaf Islamia Trust, Coordination Committee and several other local organizations, the residents held a peaceful sit-in protest in Municipal Park Pampore. The protesters accused the Government of betrayal and said that they will launch a massive agitation if the AIIMS is not established at Galender.
Mushtaq Ahmad, one of the organizers of the protest, told Excelsior that the Health Department had earlier identified 500 kanals grazing land at Galender and had also sought consent from the locals. “That time we gave consent to the Government in the office of Tehsildar Pampore. Then Principal Secretary also came here and all was okay,” he said, adding “but to our surprise the Health Ministry few days ago announced that the AIIMS would be established at Awantipora, which is a gross injustice with us”.
Mushtaq said that Pampore is an ideal place for the AIIMS as it is centrally located and has easy access through all means of transport. “The Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed is only thinking about particular areas of south Kashmir. But he should understand that people also live in other places as well,” he said.
Meanwhile, the protesters submitted a memorandum to Tehsildar and asked Government to clear its position till Friday. “If the Government goes ahead with its plan of establishing AIIMS at Awantipora then we will hit streets and block National Highway from JKEDI to Kadlabal,” the protesters warned
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