The AIIMS-Delhi on Tuesday joined hands with NBCC for developing a housing complex for the staff at its western campus amid protests by resident doctors, who are opposing the government’s policy of selling 10 per cent institutional land for commercial use.
Aimed at providing additional accommodation to professors and other staff members, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the NBCC (India) Limited, which comes under the Ministry of Urban Development. The plan is to redevelop residential quarters at West Ansari Nagar campus and Ayur Vigyan Nagar campus at a cost of ₹4,698 crore.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister of Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu and Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J. P. Nadda.
“Health and education are two areas that need our focus, thus both the Centre and State governments are increasing the budget allocation in these sectors,” said Mr. Naidu.
Mr. Nadda added that this is the largest investment in tertiary health care.
Meanwhile, the AIIMS resident doctors’ association maintained that it is “unfortunate that the MOU allows 10 per cent of the constructed land to be sold by the NBCC for commercial use. This government is ignoring the fact that resident doctors here don’t get accommodation even after waiting for 30 months.”
