No AIIMS for Kerala: Nadda in Lok Sabha

Thiruvananthapuram: In a recent Lok Sabha session, the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda has informed that the Centre had not given any instruction or assurance in establishing All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kerala.

The intimation surfaced as a reply to Shashi Tharoor, an MP, who asked in regard to the AIIMS proposal in Kerala.

Meanwhile, denial of the institute's establishment has not gone well with the opposition, who has sharply condemned the government's stand calling it 'biased'.

Opposition Leader in Assembly Ramesh Chennithala said that the Union government had taken a biased stand and meted out injustice towards Kerala by denying the proposed AIIMS.

"AIIMS denial is a violation of promise on the part of Union government," Chennithala alleged.

"If the Minister made the statement on the basis of budget announcement, then it is technically correct. But several Union ministers have repeatedly assured to sanction AIIMS to the state," he claimed.

Kerala was not included in the list when AIIMS was sanctioned to several other states in 2014-15 and 2015-16 budgets.  When the state representatives unanimously opposed the biased decision, the Union government assured to sanction one to Kerala and the Minister, now, has violated the assurance, Chennithalla further alleged.

Moreover, Tharoor later tweeted, "Shocker: In reply to my question in LS, BJP Government today says they never announced any AIIMs for Kerala, so the question about an AIIMS in Thiruvananthapuram does not arise. If anyone doubted BJP's contempt for the public of Kerala, this should dispel it conclusively.''

According to a recent report by a local daily Mathrubhumi, Minister of Health and Social Justice for Kerala, K K Shailaja had earlier said that the Centre had given assurance in sanctioning AIIMS for Kerala.

The affirmation was given in a meeting with Nadda in June. Minister Shailaja had informed Nadda that 200-acre land is estimated for the AIIMS project at Kinalur. The confirmation was given after that saying 'before finishing the Modi's term in power, AIIMS would be sanctioned.'

Read Also: Kerala not likely to have AIIMS