AIIMS was always meant for Jammu: Dr Jitendra

Avtar Bhat

KATHUA, Apr 25: Union Minister in PMO with independent charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh today made it clear that announcement for the establishment of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) was meant for Jammu to end the regional imbalances in the State.
Addressing a public meeting here, today Dr Singh said inspired by the realization that there was a huge regional imbalance of heath care services between Kashmir and Jammu and that there was an urgent need to set up an AIIMS in Jammu region, the Narendra Modi led Government announced an AIIMS for the State and the same was to be established in Jammu region.
He said as Jammu region has faced the disparity in health Sector right from 1947 the Union Government was approached by the Party leaders with the demand to sanction an AIIMS for Jammu.
Putting the record straight, Dr Singh said that the AIIMS was earlier also mooted during the NDA rule when Atal Behari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister and Sushma Swaraj Union Health Minister, but the proposal was not seriously carried forward during the 10 years of UPA rule. Therefore, the sanction of an AIIMS was, in fact, a logical culmination of the process that had got unduly stalled and hence, soon after the presentation of Union budget on February 28 “I thanked the unionFinance Minister Arun Jaitley for having sanctioned an AIIMS for Jammu, at the same time, in my capacity as Union Minister for North East I thanked him also for sanctioning a Film institute for Arunachal Pradesh”, he added.
Maintaining that the Jammu is the fittest case for establishing of such a premier institute of medical sciences, the Union Minister said that Kashmir valley has already a premier Medical Institute in the shape of Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura in Capital city of Srinagar while Jammu sans such facility.
Dr Singh, while making a dig at those who are creating a hue and cry for disparity with Jammu region, said that it was the National Conference (NC) led by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah which has been responsible for regional imbalances with Jammu region especially in health sector.
He said after the establishment of the Medical College at Srinagar in Kashmir valley a demand was raised for such a college in Jammu region by the people and it was the late Chief Minister, G M Sadiq which conceded the demand but due to his death the Medical College could not be established in Jammu. Later, his successor, Syed Mir Qasim gave practical shape to it and Medical College was established in Jammu.
Dr Singh said after return to power in 1975 Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah came to power in the State with support of Congress and having an understanding with then Prime Minster, Indira Gandhi he succeeded in establishing SKIMS in Kashmir valley and the establishment of such a premier institute for Jammu gained momentum. So from all practical purposes AIIMS was to be established at Jammu as was announced by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his budget speech.
Dr Singh also contradicted the statement that IIT was given to Jammu and AIIMS to Kashmir. Stating that this was not based on facts as IIT was sanctioned for Jammu region after the formation of Narendra Modi led Government at Centre on May 26, he had personally approached the Union HRD Minster Smriti Irani with the requisition for setting up of an IIT at Jammu and after her approval he personally submitted the same proposal for financial allocation to the Union Finance Minister. He said later Finance Minster made an announcement in this regard in his very first budget presented by him in the August last year. The IIT can’t be linked to AIIMS which was sanctioned this year, he added.
Terming the demand for AIIMS for Jammu as based on sound logic, academic reasoning and ground evidence, Dr Singh said that it deserves to be viewed above political lines. He said those who are trying to fish in troubled waters of politics, would do well to remember that BJP and its associated organizations have been fighting for the cause of AIIMS in Jammu for the last 40 years and would not allow the upstarts or the new starters to hijack this issue.
Dr Jitendra Singh said as far as SPOs and VDCs are concerned, the order to double their salary was issued over six months ago and this has been reiterated time and again by the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh himself  even in the presence of senior leaders and core group members of the State BJP, but the issue is held up because of lack of funds and the State Government has been requested to take up the issue of release of funds with the Union Finance Ministry on a priority so that the order could be implemented at the earliest.
Dr Jitendra Singh while recounting his achievements said the construction of Keerian Gandyal has been termed a historic project by Ministry of Road Transport over river Ravi in Kathua district. He said the bridge is in tendering stage. Besides, the construction of Juthana bridge, biotechnology park at Ghatti, Shahpur Kandi Project, multipurpose Ujh project have been sanctioned by the Union Government and their construction initiated.
He said the allotment of five marlas each for every family affected by cross border firing has been approved and the file is pending in the Revenue Department of the State for which the concerned Ministers have been sounded.
He said Kathua MLA, Rajiv Jasrotia will act as Public Relations and the people should submit their demands to him.
BJP general secretary (Org) Ashok Koul, MLA Rajiv Jasrotia and Kuldeep Kumar and district secretary BJP Vijay Sharma were among others who addressed the meeting. Later, responding to a question of  reporters regarding separatist protests in Valley on arrest of Masrat Alam the mastermind of 2010 stone pelting violence, Dr  Singh said that secessionists are losing ground in Kashmir and  in last year’s Parliamentary and Assembly elections people gave enmass mandate to strengthening of democracy in the State under the leadership of Narendra Modi.

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