Putting all speculations to rest, Government of India today reiterated that only one All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will be established in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Government has decided to establish AIIMS-like institutes in every state in a phased manner. Setting up of four more AIIMS-like institutes one 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 one each in Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Bihar during the financial year 2015-16 has been announced by the Finance Minister in his Budget Speech,” Union Health Minister, J P Nadda, told RajyaSabha through a written reply.
In the reply, there is no mention of providing AIIMS or AIIMS-like facilities in both Kashmir and Jammu regions as claimed by the Union Minister in the wake of agitation demanding separate institute for Jammu division.
On July 30, Nadda had tweeted that both Kashmir and Jammu regions would have AIIMS-like facilities. Following Nada’s tweet, the state unit of BJP held celebrations and castigated the opposition for continuing the agitation.