‘No conflict over AIIMS Kashmir site’

Srinagar, June 24: Work on AIIMS Kashmir is progressing well at the original site in Awantipora, officials in J&K administration said refuting reports of the nearby Army installation objecting to the project plan.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Pulwama Baseer-ul-Haq Chaudhary said that there was “no question” of any objection to the site.

   

“These reports are factually incorrect,” he said.

Chaudhary said that the Army garrison Victor Force that was the closest neighbour of the upcoming multi-crore healthcare project had “registered objection over certain points” and not the site.

“It is quite normal and part of any developmental and construction work. These objections are being analysed and resolved keeping in view the security of the nation,” he said.

A senior official said that the Army officials had desired that the location of certain buildings be changed as these structures could compromise the security of the agency due to their proximity to Victor Force.

Earlier last year, the official said the officials monitoring AIIMS Awantipora project had desired that a firing range at the garrison be shifted as it was close to a building site of the hospital.

He said that the entry and exit of the site were from different sites and the exit road was “yet to be finalised”.

Chaudhary, while terming the objections “minor” in nature said any project, as the per law, would need to address the apprehensions voiced by all the stakeholders.

These stakeholders, at the AIIMS site, are the locals from whom the land had been acquired, the residents of the area and others who fall in its vicinity.

“No agency or stakeholder has made any demand for site change,” Chaudhary said.

He said that the work was progressing well and that a review meeting with various departments working at the site was convened on Wednesday.

“Our job is to ensure power, water and road to the site and we are doing that,” he said.

Nodal Officer for the new medical colleges in J&K Dr Yashpal Sharma

said that the CPWD, the central executing agency, was responsible for construction of the site and AIIMS Rishikesh was the mentoring agency. “We have written to AIIMS Rishikesh to inspect the sites we have identified for the temporary campus. We hope to have them here soon,” he said.

J&K aims to start MBBS on a makeshift campus for the first batch of 50 students of AIIMS Kashmir.

AIIMS Jammu has already took its first batch of students last year.

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