*Govt likely to start academics this year
Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Apr 13: The construction of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Awantipora in South Kashmir has made only about 10% progress three years after the project was approved by the Government, with officials claiming that construction work is moving at full speed this year because all of the project’s issues have been resolved.
The AIIMS was approved by the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 10, 2019, at an estimated cost of Rs 1828 crore. On the same date, the AIIMS at Vijaypur in Samba in the Jammu region was also approved.
The progress of the construction work at Samba is 50 percent, while construction at Awantipora is just 10 percent. “When we compare the two projects, we can see a significant difference in a project’s progress. This reveals a significant gap in project implementation,” an official privy to the details said.
Since its inception in 2019, this ambitious project has experienced numerous setbacks. A legal dispute over the acquisition of land needed for the access road, which was essential for transporting the material, hit the project soon after the foundation stone was laid.
In the months that followed, Kashmir was under siege for several months due to the repeal of Article 370. “When the situation improved, winter set in, making construction work difficult to carry out,” an official said, adding that COVID 19 also slowed the pace of work.
On May 19, 2021, construction on some of the structures was halted after a nearby Army base raised security concerns and objected to their construction. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare quickly formed a committee to address the concerns. “The Committee decided that CPWD should revise the Master Plan in accordance with the security instructions issued by the Ministry of Defence,” an official said.
Chief Engineer of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Shirshir Bansal, told Excelsior they had to revise the master plan and that delayed the project. “We had to change the whole master plan, and that delayed the project. From the beginning, the project was delayed by at least two years due to various issues,” he said.
He, however, maintained that construction work never came to halt, but it slowed down. ” We have been working at full speed since November. Funding for the projects is not an issue,” he said.
Echoing him, Nodal Officer for AIIMS Awantipora, Rakesh, told Excelsior that all issues have been resolved and that the first batch of students will be admitted this year. “This year, we expect to have approval for the first batch for the AIIMS in the upcoming NEET-UG,” he said.
The institute will add 1000 beds to its current capacity in Kashmir, including 300 super-specialty beds. The ambitious project also includes a Medical College with a capacity of 100 students and a Nursing College with a capacity of 60 students.
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