The Union cabinet must approve the increased estimate budget of ₹2,000 crore for constructing All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Madurai without further delay, said Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan.
He said though it had been two years since the foundation stone was laid for the facility, there was still no guarantee when the construction would begin. Mr. Venkatesan said he met Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan and joint secretary of AIIMS Nilambuj Sharan last week to discuss the status of Madurai AIIMS. The Centre had not approved the increased estimated budget from around ₹1,200 crore to ₹2,000 crore, he said.
The officials said the loan agreement for sanctioning funds from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) would be completed by March-end. “However, the loan agreement can be signed only if the cabinet approves the increased estimated budget,” he said.
The State government was showing a lackadaisical attitude towards setting up AIIMS in Madurai. It took nearly two years to transfer the land to the Union government, he added.
The announcement for setting up AIIMS at Mangalagiri in Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Madurai were made at the same time. While college admissions have begun at those AIIMS, the State government had taken no initiative to start admissions in the Madurai facility. “It was suggested that the State government begin admissions for this academic year by setting up a temporary hospital. However, the State government took no step towards it,” said the MP.
A special administrative officer for Madurai AIIMS had still not been appointed. The Central government officials were passing the responsibility, citing non-cooperation from their counterparts in the State government. “We are planning to raise the issue of delay during the Union budget session,” Mr. Venkatesan added.
