Tamil Nadu: 'DMK Unnecessarily Politicising Madurai AIIMS Issue', Says Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya In Heated Exchange With TR Baalu

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had a heated exchange with senior Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP, TR Baalu in the Lok Sabha today (10 February), during Question Hour.

After Congress MP from Kerala, Kodikunnil Suresh had asked Mandaviya to look into the demand for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kerala, Baalu rose up to speak.

Baalu asked two questions-

• How many medical colleges have been started without infrastructure?

• How many medical colleges have not yet taken off even after the foundation stone has been laid by the Prime Minister of India?

While Baalu did not mention 'Madurai AIIMS' in his question, Mandaviya felt that he was asking about it because the DMK and its alliance partners in the state have kept saying that the central government had not fulfilled its promise of constructing AIIMS in Madurai.

The foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019.

Angered by the question, Mandaviya said that the DMK was unnecessarily politicising the issue. He added that all information had been provided to them, i.e., the reasons for the delay etc.

Further, he said that it is wrong on the part of the DMK to say that AIIMS Madurai had not started because while the infrastructure for the hospital facility is yet to come up, educational programmes had started.

Elaborating on the reasons for the delay and the status of work, he said that-

• The state government did not allot land on time and this has led to cost escalation

• It is a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funded project, and due to the coronavirus pandemic, Japanese officials couldn't visit the site for two years

• The Modi government has allocated Rs 1900 crore for the project and the process of issuing tenders is underway

He added that the DMK was resorting to such politics because he had taken strict action against certain medical colleges in the state that were operating without adequate infrastructure and faculty.

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