Madurai
While the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will fund 85% of the total cost for the establishment of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Thoppur in Madurai, the remaining 15% of the cost will be contributed by the Central government, reveals an RTI reply obtained by R. Pandiaraja, a social worker.
It has been over two years since the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for AIIMS in Madurai. A preparatory survey by the officials of JICA at the site in Thoppur was conducted in February 2020.
Initially, the total cost of the AIIMS project was at ₹ 1,264 crore. Then, an RTI reply obtained by Mr. Pandiaraja in December last showed that the total cost of the AIIMS project had increased to ₹ 2,000 crore. The RTI reply received on Tuesday showed that the increased cost for the AIIMS project is as per the estimates prepared by JICA.
Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan, who met Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan and Joint Secretary (AIIMS) Nilambuj Sharan in January, said that the government proposed to construct a communicable diseases hospital at AIIMS, which has led to an increase in the estimated budget of the project to ₹ 2,000 crore. He said that the officials had communicated that a loan agreement for sanctioning funds from JICA will be signed by March-end.
The RTI reply received on Tuesday said that there was no information available on the layout plan for Madurai AIIMS.
HITES has been appointed as the executing agency for pre-investment activities at the site for AIIMS Madurai. Pre-investment activities are still under progress at the site, the RTI reply said.
