The uncertainty over the proposed location for establishing the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the State might come to an end on August 1 as the Madras High Court Bench here on Thursday directed the Health Secretary to disclose by then the stand of the State government on the issue or end up appearing before the court on August 7.
A Division Bench of Justices K.K. Sasidharan and G.R. Swaminathan passed the order on a couple of public interest litigation petitions of which one, filed by activist K.K. Ramesh, had sought a direction to the Centre to announce the district where the institute would be established.
The other petition filed by R.K. Basker had insisted on establishing it in Madurai.
During the course of arguments, Special Government Pleader M. Govindan initially said it was up to the Centre to finalise the location.
However, when the judges told him that the Centre, in a counter affidavit in response to one of the PIL petitions, had pointed the finger at the State government, he sought time to ascertain the details from the Health Secretary.
Process underway
The counter affidavit filed by K. Vinod Kumar, Under Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, had stated that it was up to the State government to identify and offer a suitable location, as per the specifications of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, for establishing AIIMS and that the process was under way.
“The work of setting up AIIMS in Tamil Nadu is under process and the State government has to select the appropriate place,” he added.
