Centre asks state to identify land for AIIMS in Jammu, Srinagar

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 7

The Central Government has asked the Jammu and Kashmir Government to identify land measuring about 200 acres each in Srinagar and Jammu for establishing All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the two capitals of the state.

This was stated by the J&K Government in a written reply to Aijaz Ahmad Mir (PDP) in the state Assembly today. The state government, in reply to a question, also stated that the Central Government had constituted two teams for visiting and finalising the sites for establishing AIIMS in both state capitals. It also stated that the government had been advised only to identify alternate sites for setting up the premier institutes in the two regions and there was no mention about the extent of funds required or allocated for the purpose.

The sanctioning of AIIMS, initially to Kashmir earlier this year, had led to an agitation in the Jammu region that ended with the assurances from the government that Jammu would also get such an institution. AIIMS was initially sanctioned for the Kashmir valley (in Srinagar), while other institutes were sanctioned for Jammu.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda, in the aftermath of nearly two-month-long agitation in Jammu, had on July 31 announced that two AIIMS would be set up in the state, one each for Kashmir and Jammu.

Meanwhile, Independent MLA from Langate Abdul Rashid Sheikh (Er Rashid) during zero hour in the Assembly advocated the grant of an IIT, IIM and IIMC for Kashmir. “We are not against the Jammu region but it is not justice that the government will announce AIIMS, IIT and IIM for Jammu and give Kashmiris worst treatment,” he told the Assembly. He criticised the Central Government for granting AIIMS for Jammu after the agitation, while demanding an IIT and IIM for Kashmir.