Ending months old deadlock, the Jammu and Kashmir government has finalized the location of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kashmir with the construction of this prestigious institute to be commenced in near future.The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon ina brief chat with Kashmir Leader said after the cabinet approval, the government has identified land in South Kashmir’s Awantipora area wherein the AIIMS shall be established.
The government earlier witnessed series of protests from opposition and even from the coalition partner BJP over establishing of AIIMS in Kashmir while ignoring the one for Jammu region of the state. It was later that the chief minister pacified the situation, assuring the establishment of the medical institutes at both Kashmir as well as Jammu. Earlier, the revenue ministry in Jammu and Kashmir had submitted various sites for the construction of AIIMS building in Kashmir before the health department.
Though the file remained in limbo for quite some time, it has finally come to fore that the nod over establishing AIIMS has been given for south Kashmir’s Awantipora area. Reports informed that the topographical conditions and a suitable atmosphere for the establishment of India premier in- stitute has been taken into consideration while finalising the site. Located on hillocks of Awantipora, AIIMS shal be made functional just near the IUST. “We had to keep in mind that the best possible surroundings are there with absolutely no flood threats,” Div com said. He added that approximately the AIIMS building shall be constructed on the land measuring 440 kanals.
The Centre had earlier asked Jammu and Kashmir government to identify 200 acres of land each for Jammu and Srinagar for “setting up of AIIMS” in the state. In his letter to state, a senior Union Health Ministry official has stated that in view of “expediting” the process of establishment of AIIMS, two teams have been constituted to finalise the sites and the state government has been advised to identify piec- es of land measuring 200 acres each in both Jammu and Srinagar. The move came after Health Minister JP Nadda held a meeting and directed officials to send such a letter so that the issue can be expedited.
“The letter says that 200 acre land should be identified in both the regions. The decision on this issue was taken by the Health Minister himself,” a senior Health Ministry official had said while confirming the development. He was quoted further as saying that the meeting was a follow up of the meeting held earlier between the Health Minister and a delegation of Jammu and Kashmir. The delegation which had met Nadda included state Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, Health Minister Lal Singh, state BJP president Jugal Kishore Sharma, party J&K affairs in charge Avinash Rai Khanna and general secretary Narendra Singh.
