Madurai: J Radhakrishnan, Tamil Nadu health secretary, in his counter affidavit filed in the high court bench here stated that identification of location for setting up of an AIIMS-like institute in the state lies with the Central government.
“It is submitted that in all correspondences, they (the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare) have always indicated that the actual selection of the place would be done at the Government of India level,” said Radhakrishnan in the affidavit.
He filed the counter affidavit following direction issued by the Division bench comprising Justices K K Sasidharan and G R Swaminathan. The Central government's counsel had informed during the last hearing that responsibility for identifying the suitable place was with the state government.
Radhakrishnan also stated that Tamil Nadu Government on its part provided all the required details to expedite the decision on the site to enable to get the new AIIMS-type Super Specialty Hospital-cum-teaching institution in the State, which had identified five suitable places for the same.
Referring to another division bench order of this court passed in June 2016 which declined to issue directions on this issue, Radhakrishnan requested the court to dispose off the petitions as the petitioners had no locus-standi in this case.
