Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, July 31: Accusing the Congress and others of exploiting people for political mileage on the issue of AIIMS, the Minister for Health Choudhary Lal Singh today sought to clarify that Jammu will have a full fledged and independent All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
“There will be a full fledgd AIIMS in Jammu with a separate Director like in Kashmir and there is no fifty- fifty either in respect of Faculties or infrastructure but hundred percent in both the regions,” he said while addressing a crowded press conference at the BJP headquarters, here today.
While elaborating, Lal Singh said that both Jammu and Kashmir would have all the Faculties in their respective AIIMS, independent infrastructures as well as campuses besides equal distribution of funds from the Government of India. “There should be no confusion on the issue and this is also very clear from the official statement of Union Minister for Health J P Nadda that the Government of India will provide similar facilities of AIIMS in both Jammu and Kashmir regions,” he added.
However, Lal Singh, who had accompanied Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh and others during their meeting with Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at New Delhi yesterday, desisted from clearly stating that J&K would have two AIIMS. “If AIIMS in Jammu will have all the Faculties, own Campus and infrastructure with a separate Director, there is no question of raising doubts on its status,” he reiterated while replying to a query.
In a specifically asked question, Lal Singh stressed that if Rs 1500 crores are required for setting up an AIIMS, a total amount of Rs 3000 crores would be spent with equal distribution in Jammu and Kashmir regions. “Rs 1500 crores for Jammu and Rs 1500 crores for Kashmir,” Mr Singh said and claimed that next time he would also show necessary official documents for AIIMS in Jammu.
Accusing the Congress of trying to exploit Jammuites for its petty political interests by misguiding people on the issue of AIIMS, Lal Singh alleged that the then NDA Government’s decision of upgrading Government Medical College Jammu to the level of AIIMS was shelved by the State in 2007 for the unknown reasons.
“Upgradation of GMC Jammu to the level of AIIMS was announced by then Union Health Minister Sushma Swaraj and some funds for the same were also provided till I was Health Minister in the State but later on the project was converted into Super- Specialty of GMC by my successors in the State Heath Ministry,” he said and also produced copies of official communications in this regard.
Along with BJP State general secretary Dr Narinder Singh, who was also part of the delegation that called on J P Nadda yesterday, MLA Jammu West Sat Sharma, MLA Jammu-East Rajesh Gupta, general secretary Munish Sharma, Yudhvir Sethi and Balbir Ram were also present in the press conference.
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