Akshay Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 10: The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) which has vigorously been attempting to befool Jammuites by displaying an order, in which Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has asked state government to identify 200 acres alternate land in Jammu and Kashmir provinces has so far failed to acknowledge that three months back, same Ministry had asked for identification of 200 acres alternate land.
Now the question arises, if in May 2015, Union government had asked for identification of alternate piece of land and the much touted order being shown by BJP is nothing new, then what BJP ministers of state have been trying to do by spreading lies.
On 5th of May 2015, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda in response to question of Rajya Sabha MP, Nazir Ahmed Laway, had given the same reply, which reads as, "State Government of Jammu and Kashmir has been requested on 31.03.2015 to identify suitable alternate locations for setting up of new AIIMS in the State. The State Government has to undertake to provide land approximately 200 acres free of cost and other required infrastructure such as suitable road connection, sufficient water supply, electricity connection of required load and regulatory / statutory clearances".
Now after three months, when Jammuites felt deceived by BJP, they started agitation under the banner of AIIMS Coordination Committee, which suspended agitation only for people's relief, the BJP Ministers in state claimed that Union government had accepted their demand.
A communiqué sent by Joint Secretary of Union Health and Family Welfare department Sunil Sharma (IRPS) to Secretary of J&K Health and Family Welfare department MK Bhandari was circulated on social networking sites.
"With a view to expedite the process for establishment of AIIMS in J&K, two teams have been constituted to visit and finalize the sites for establishment of the AIIMS," reads the letter forwarded by Sunil Sharma, Joint Secretary, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry to State Secretary Health, MK Bhandari, vide communication No Z-28016/54/2015/-SSH-PH-IV, on August 4.
The order further reads, "The Union Ministry has asked State Government to identify land measuring 200 acres each in Kashmir and Jammu for expediting the process of setting up of the AIIMS".
Moreover, on August 4, 2015, Union Health Minister JP Nadda, in response to a question of MP Rajani Patil, made it clear that only one AIIMS would be established.
The reply given by JP Nadda on August 4, reads as, "The Government has also decided to establish AIIMS like institutes in every State in a phased manner. Setting up of four more AIIMS like Institutes each in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Vidharbha in Maharashtra and Poorvanchal in Uttar Pradesh during the financial year 2014-15 and six more AIIMS like institutes each in Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Bihar during the financial year 2015-16 has been announced by Hon'ble Finance Minister in his Budget Speech."
A cursory glance at reply of Union Health Minister JP Nadda in Rajya Sabha on May 5, 2015 to the question of MP Nazir Ahmed Laway and August 4th letter of Joint Secretary Union H&ME department to J&K secretary H&ME department, besides the reply of Union Health Minister made it clear that only one AIIMS would be established in Jammu and Kashmir. "Then question arises, what BJP ministers, are touting as their achievement, for which they also organized a Dhanyawad rally and erected hoarding across Jammu province", a Jammuite said. |
