Jana Sangram Parishat (JSP) has criticised the Union government for not sanctioning assured All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to Karnataka in its current budget.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Dr. V.A. Malipatil, district convenor of the group, said that the Union government had meted out injustice to the State by denying the premier health institute.
“The then Union Minister for Health Dr. Harsh Vardhan, during his visit to the State, had assured that his government would sanction AIIMS to Karnataka. However, his assurance had not reflected in the current union budget,” he said.
Dr. Malipatil also slated State government for not pressurising the Union Government on the issue. “Congress leader and former railway minister Mallikarjun Kharge had written to Union Health Ministry seeking AIIMS to Raichur. However, the State government has not officially written a single letter demanding AIIMS,” he observed. He blamed all the Members of Parliament from the State for their inactiveness on the issue.
He said that the Action Committee for AIIMS, a conglomeration of various civil-society organisations, political parties and individuals, would continue to press for the demand collectively till the AIIMS was established in Raichur.
“Establishment of AIIMS in Raichur would greatly help transform the pathetic health scenario of the backward Hyderabad-Karnataka region for a better as the institute offers high quality health services free of cost,” he said. He expressed dissatisfaction over the “irresponsible attitude” of elected representatives of the district cutting across party lines and their reluctance on the issue.
