The Union government’s three suggestions on temporary arrangements to accommodate 150 MBBS students for the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Madurai, were not feasible, said Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma. Subramanian.
In a letter dated June 4 to the State government, the Union government had said 150 students could be admitted to the upcoming AIIMS, and had suggested three temporary places for them, until construction is completed — the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry; the government medical college or arts college in Madurai; or any private medical college in Madurai — the Minister told reporters on Thursday.
“We have been looking into the suggestions. Will it be appropriate to admit students to a neighbouring Union Territory or a private medical college? There are already 250 students at the Madurai Medical College, and admitting 150 more will take the total number of students to 400. Basic infrastructure at the college will not be adequate for the students. It will not be appropriate to admit medical students in art colleges,” he said.
Stating that all three suggestions of the Union government were not feasible, Mr. Subramanian said the State government was looking at alternatives. “Instead, the State is exploring the possibility of admitting 50 students each to the government medical colleges in Madurai, Theni and Sivaganga, or 30 each to the government medical colleges in Madurai, Theni, Sivaganga, Thoothukudi and Tiruchi. We will consult with the Chief Minister and submit a report soon,” he said.
At the HC
This issue surfaced after the Centre informed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday that it was willing to start AIIMS from a temporary campus till the construction of the main one is completed, and a proposal for a temporary site must come from the State.
Referring to this, the Medical Minister said it was projected as if there was delay on the part of the State government, whereas the project had been delayed for six years since its announcement in 2015. He noted that the Chief Minister had written to the Prime Minister on June 5 to expedite construction, and had later emphasised this during his meeting with him on June 14.
The Union government had announced the setting up of an AIIMS in Tamil Nadu in February 2015. It was on June 18, 2018, that Madurai was selected, and on December 17, 2018, the Union Cabinet announced that the institute would come up at a cost of ₹1,264 crore, with 750 beds, and be built in 45 months.
The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone on January 27, 2019. Eleven months later, work to construct a compound wall on the identified piece of land, at ₹15 crore, began. The then State government had handed over 224.24 acres of land. The project was being funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency through a loan agreement with the Centre.
The Minister said the project cost in 2018 was ₹1,264 crore; it needed to be revised now. “JICA has said that it cannot grant the funds in 45 months, but only in 71, and would release money in stages. Construction can begin only after the revised estimates are readied,” he said. He said the previous AIADMK government should have put pressure on the Centre to expedite works and the present government was taking all measures to fasten the process.
