Srinagar: Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has appointed three Members of Parliament (MPs) as members of the upcoming institute body of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in South Kashmir’s Awantipora.
The three members are nominated to the AIIMS institute board by provision of the AIIMS Act – 1956. In this regard, Union Health Ministry has issued a notification which reads as “Jamyang Tsering Namgyal (MP, Lok Sabha), Jugal Kishore Sharma (MP, Lok Sabha) and Indu Bala Goswami (MP, Rajya Sabha) have been nominated as members of the Institute Body (IB) of AIIMS, Awantipora.” According to the notification, the term of office of members shall be governed by the provisions contained in the Section 6 of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Act, 1956.
As per the provisions of AIIMS Act 1956 three Members of Parliament of whom two shall be elected from among themselves by the members of the House of the People and one from among themselves by the members of the Council of States.
As per the official document, only three MPs had submitted nominations in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariat for becoming members of AIIMS Awantipora.
“In connection with the election of two members of Lok Sabha to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Awantipora, Jammu and Kashmir (motion in respect of which was adopted by the House on 12.02.2021), two nominations were received upto the last date and time fixed for the purpose. No candidate has withdrawn candidature upto the last date and time fixed for withdrawal for this body. Therefore, the number of candidates in fray being, thus, equal to the number of members to be elected to the AIIMS, Awantipora, Jammu & Kashmir,” the document reads. It is pertinent to mention that the Jammu and Kashmir government is making makeshift arrangements for starting the first batch of MBBS at the upcoming All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Awantipora in south Kashmir.
According to an official document, the government of J&K has informed that out of Rs 1828 crore sanctioned for the establishment of AIIMS Kashmir, just Rs 61.8 crore has been utilized so far. However, the government has made it clear that it is intending to start the first batch of MBBS in 2021 at the proposed site for a makeshift campus. “For starting the first batch of MBBS in 2021, makeshift arrangements are being made,” reads an official document.
It further states that so far the physical progress of the project is just 3 percent.
“Work on the main building allotted on November, 2020, physical progress is 3 percent. 86 percent boundary wall completed, 187.77 acres of land made available,” it reads.
Regarding the funding for the project, the official document reveals that Rs 1828 crore were sanctioned for the project, Rs 234.5 crore were released, of which just Rs 61.80 crore have been utilized.”