Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 8: Amidst ongoing controversy over diversion of recently sanctioned AIIMS to Kashmir from Jammu region, PDP-BJP Coalition Government today said that an enquiry would be conducted to ascertain how the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at Centre stalled the up-gradation of Government Medical College Jammu to the level of AIIMS.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government in the year 2003 selected six States of the country for granting projects of up-gradation of Medical Colleges and Hospitals to the level of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
On January 25, 2004, the then Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Sushma Swaraj laid the foundation stone of up-gradation of Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu to the level of AIIMS in the presence of the then State Health Minister in the Congress-PDP Coalition Government, Ch Lal Singh and others.
However, the new dispensation at the Centre-Congress-led UPA reflected the project as only up-gradation of Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu and sanctioned merely Rs 120 crore-Rs 100 crore Union Government share and Rs 20 crore State share. During UPA’s 10 years tenure, no-where in the official record it was mentioned that GMC Jammu would be up-graded to the level of AIIMS.
Thereafter, none of the politicians from the State ever uttered any word about reducing of upgradation of GMC Jammu to the level of Super Specialty Hospital from AIIMS. The BJP-led UPA Government in its second Budget this year, sanctioned Rs 1600 crore worth AIIMS for Jammu and Kashmir.
However, the PDP-BJP Government in its Common Minimum Programme (CMP) mentioned that recently sanctioned AIIMS would be established in Kashmir valley and this resulted into controversy as earlier an impression was given that AIIMS would be set-up in Jammu region.
The issue figured in the Legislative Assembly today when BJP MLA from Jammu East, Rajesh Gupta sought to know the reasons for not upgrading the status of Jammu Medical College to that of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) despite the announcement already made in this behalf over a decade back.
Responding to the issue, Minister for Health and Medical Education, Ch Lal Singh remarked, “had the GMC Jammu been upgraded to the level of AIIMS instead of Super Specialty Hospital, the present controversy over setting up of recently sanctioned AIIMS in Kashmir valley could have been avoided”.
“It is a fact that originally the project was for up-gradation of GMC Jammu to the level of AIIMS as I was Health Minister at that time”, he said, adding “I am shocked over the reduction of GMC’s upgradation to only Super Specialty Hospital”.
He announced on the floor of the House that Government would conduct enquiry to ascertain how the original project was stalled. Without naming Ghulam Nabi Azad, he said, “the person who was Health Minister of the country remained mute spectator to this unfortunate development. Moreover, those who held the portfolio of Health and Medical Education in Jammu and Kashmir during these years too didn’t bother to ensure that original project was executed”.
“I will leave no stone unturned to find out who played spoil-sport and for that I will even go to the Union Health Ministry to trace out the official record whereby upgradation of GMC Jammu was reduced to Super Specialty Hospital instead to the level of AIIMS”, Ch Lal Singh said.
However, Congress MLA from Banihal and former Minister, Vikar Rasool, while speaking on the issue, said, “Ghulam Nabi Azad was the best ever Health Minister of the country and his contribution for the upgradation of health infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir cannot be undermined”, adding “the present dispensation must not forget that Ghulam Nabi Azad had sanctioned five Medical Colleges for Jammu and Kashmir”.
Meanwhile, in reply to the question of Hakeem Mohd Yasin and other legislators, Ch Lal Singh admitted that rationalization of staff in the hospitals particularly in remote and far-off areas was required. “I assure this House that adequate staff would be provided in each and every hospital of the State and efforts would be made to make all necessary equipments available”, he added.
He admitted that sanctioning of funds for hospitals was most irrational in the past and said, “there would be parity in this regard now and every area would get due attention and share”.
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