EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Dec 21: At a time when the government is acting tough against the pendency of developmental projects in Jammu and Kashmir, it is likely that the snail’s pace of work going on over the establishment of the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Jammu will catch government’s eye.
The official data reveals that out of the total Rs Two Thousand Crores, the government sanctioned Rs Nine Thousand crores at the first place for the construction of AIIMS in Jammu. However, out of these sanctioned nine thousand crore rupees, not even a single rupee has so far been spent. Sources privy to this development divulged that the funds would get lapsed soon with the commencement of the next financial year.
So far Rs 43 crores have been spent on the construction of AIIMS in Kashmir Valley but for Jammu, the government hasn’t spent anything.
There were a plethora of views expressed by the people on the similar issue and the government was cornered over its non- functional mode of governance. In 2015, soon after stitching the common ground for alliance, the BJP and PDP formed the coalition government in March that year. After the government formation, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised the establishment of two AIIMS-like institutions for healthcare in the capital cities of the erstwhile state.
The erstwhile state dispensation was asked to identify the land for the establishment of AIIMS in the twin capitals of the state. After much delay, the government finally identified the two sites. The government then claimed that the sites at Vijaypur in Samba district in Jammu region and at Awantipora in Pulwama in Kashmir have been finalized for the establishment of AIIMS. However, till date, the government is yet to even initiate the process of construction of the AIIMS in Jammu and Srinagar. What we are seeing till date is that there is only what we call the pre-investment work going on at the two sites. Such a process has been in progress since the past two years but nothing so far has been achieved.
Earlier, on December 17, as per reports, LG Sinha chaired a high level meeting in which he expressed serious concern over the dilatory mode of functioning and how the important developmental package was being undermined and left unimplemented.
Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam, Financial Commissioner (Finance) Arun Kumar Mehta, Financial Commissioner (Health) Atal Dulloo, Principal Secretary to Lt Governor Nitishwar Kumar, Administrative Secretaries of various departments besides senior officers from NHAI, BRO, Jal Shakti, PWD, PDD, Tourism, Horticulture, etc. were present in the meeting.
An official said that the government is likely to take series of measures to ascertain the reasons for the delay in the implementation of AIIMS project even after five long years passed since it was approved by the government of India for the twin capitals- Srinagar and Jammu of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. |
