AIIMS at Thoppur
Ramya Kannan B. Tilak Chandar
CHENNAI/MADURAI, June 20, 2018 00:00 IST
Central committee picks location from list of five places
The Centre’s committee to finalise the location of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences-like institution in Tamil Nadu has zeroed in on Thoppur in Madurai, choosing it over the four other locations identified by the State government.
It is learnt from sources in Delhi that the location was decided upon at a meeting convened there on Monday. A formal communication to the State government is on its way.
With this decision, the hotly-contested issue of location of AIIMS that evolved into yet another political issue with allegations and counter allegations flying fast comes to an end. The five locations proposed by the Tamil Nadu government were Pudukottai town in Pudukottai district, Thoppur in Madurai, Perundurai in Erode, Sengipatti in Thanjavur and Chengalpattu in Kancheepuram. While the State puts forth the proposal, it is the Central government that takes the final decision on the location of the institution.
The Rs. 1,100-crore AIIMS project will envisage building an integrated state-of-the-art institution in the available 300 acres of land. The 750-bedded institution will have 100 medical seats, and a nursing college, besides giving an added thrust to research education. The committee has recommended that the State government could go ahead with the project, subject, of course, to the fact that all conditions will be adhered to.
While the delay in finalising a venue for the institution created some bad blood in Tamil Nadu, the row escalated after Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, on more than one occasion, mentioned Sengipatti as the Centre’s choice. He was accused of being partisan, and pandering to a certain lobby while he sought to distance himself from the decision, claiming it had been communicated to him by the Centre.
The Madurai-based lobby, both political and trade-related, also campaigned vigorously to choose Thoppur, as it would serve as an integrated centre for all the southern districts. A series of demonstrations, protests and signature campaigns were conducted over the last two years by a coalition of trade bodies, with the participation of political parties, to urge the Centre to choose Thoppur.
The delay by the Union Ministry in finalising one of these five locations also led to litigations in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. At least two public interest litigations were filed in the court in this regard.
The High Court Bench directed the Ministry to announce the location by December, 2017. But when the decision was not announced by then, a contempt petition was filed, which was heard in February and adjourned till June. The petition, interestingly, comes up for hearing on Wednesday.
Ramya Kannan B. Tilak Chandar
CHENNAI/MADURAI, June 20, 2018 00:00 IST
Central committee picks location from list of five places
The Centre’s committee to finalise the location of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences-like institution in Tamil Nadu has zeroed in on Thoppur in Madurai, choosing it over the four other locations identified by the State government.
It is learnt from sources in Delhi that the location was decided upon at a meeting convened there on Monday. A formal communication to the State government is on its way.
With this decision, the hotly-contested issue of location of AIIMS that evolved into yet another political issue with allegations and counter allegations flying fast comes to an end. The five locations proposed by the Tamil Nadu government were Pudukottai town in Pudukottai district, Thoppur in Madurai, Perundurai in Erode, Sengipatti in Thanjavur and Chengalpattu in Kancheepuram. While the State puts forth the proposal, it is the Central government that takes the final decision on the location of the institution.
The Rs. 1,100-crore AIIMS project will envisage building an integrated state-of-the-art institution in the available 300 acres of land. The 750-bedded institution will have 100 medical seats, and a nursing college, besides giving an added thrust to research education. The committee has recommended that the State government could go ahead with the project, subject, of course, to the fact that all conditions will be adhered to.
While the delay in finalising a venue for the institution created some bad blood in Tamil Nadu, the row escalated after Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, on more than one occasion, mentioned Sengipatti as the Centre’s choice. He was accused of being partisan, and pandering to a certain lobby while he sought to distance himself from the decision, claiming it had been communicated to him by the Centre.
The Madurai-based lobby, both political and trade-related, also campaigned vigorously to choose Thoppur, as it would serve as an integrated centre for all the southern districts. A series of demonstrations, protests and signature campaigns were conducted over the last two years by a coalition of trade bodies, with the participation of political parties, to urge the Centre to choose Thoppur.
The delay by the Union Ministry in finalising one of these five locations also led to litigations in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. At least two public interest litigations were filed in the court in this regard.
The High Court Bench directed the Ministry to announce the location by December, 2017. But when the decision was not announced by then, a contempt petition was filed, which was heard in February and adjourned till June. The petition, interestingly, comes up for hearing on Wednesday.
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