HYDERABAD: Despite being sanctioned by the Centre in 2018, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bibinagar, is far from being fully operational, with works on the project being carried out at a snail’s pace.
The Centre has, yet again, extended the deadline for the completion of the project to November 2023, against the previous deadline of November 2022. Union health minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, informed in the Lok Sabha on Friday that an executive agency has been appointed to oversee construction works on the project.
However, the data shows that while the Union Cabinet approved a budget of
Rs 1,028 crore for AIIMS, Bibinagar, it released just Rs 28.15 crore in four years.
tabled in the House shows that AIIMS, Bibinagar, continues to receive paltry
sums of money from the Centre, as compared to AIIMS in other states.
Data shows that while the Union Cabinet approved a budget of Rs 1,028 crore for AIIMS, Bibinagar, it released just Rs 28.15 crore in four years, since 2018. In contrast, the AIIMS, Bathinda, received Rs 706.39 crore of the sanctioned amounts of Rs 925 crore, AIIMS-Guwahati received Rs 514.41 crore out of Rs 1,123 crore, AIIMS- Bilaspur received Rs 1,023.81 crore out of Rs 1,471 crore, AIIMS-Jammu received Rs 470.67 crore out of Rs 1,661 crore, AIIMS-Kashmir received Rs 353.66 crore out of Rs 1,828 crore, AIIMS- Deoghar received Rs 614.62 crore out of Rs 1,103 crore and AIIMS-Rajkot received Rs 181.04 crore out of Rs 1,195 crore.
Data also reveals that AIIMS-Madurai received lower funds than AIIMS, Bibinagar, whereas no funds have been released for AIIMS-Darbhanga and AIIMS-Manethi to date.
The Union minister revealed the details of the 11 AIIMS sanctioned under Phase V, VI and VII of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), with their present progress and the timeline for their completion, including that of AIIMS-Bibinagar in TS.
He said that the funds for setting up all new AIIMS projects were provided
separately and released to the executing agency under the PMSSY budget.
“Regarding the AIIMS in Telangana state, pre-investment activities have already been completed and the executing agency has been appointed to oversee the main construction work. The target date for the completion of the project is November 2023.
Meanwhile, the MBBS batch of AIIMS, Bibinagar has already started from
the academic year 2019-20, and limited OPD services have started with effect
from June 2, 2020, at the institute,” he added.
