AIIMS in Tamil Nadu to open in 45 months after cabinet approval: Centre to Madras HC

The Centre yesterday informed the Madras High Court that the proposed All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the state would start functioning 45 months after the formal approval by the Union Cabinet. The submission was made by the Union Health Ministry in its counter affidavit filed on a PIL filed by K K Ramesh seeking steps to expedite the work for setting up AIIMS in the district, which had faced a prolonged delay after the project was announced in Union Budget 2015-16.

The process of identifying the location by the state government was delayed and in June this year, the state had proposed five locations. Subsequently, the Centre had announced Thoppur as the site for the premier medical institution. Citing the Centres’ response to an RTI query, the petitioner had submitted that the Union Cabinet was yet to approve the proposed AIIMS.

On November 8, a division bench of Justices K K Sasidharan and P D Audhikesavalu had asked the Union Health Secretary to file its reply. In its counter, the health ministry had informed that establishment of AIIMS in Madurai district was under consideration. The Union finance committee has to first approve it and then the Union Cabinet would take it up. Once the cabinet approval was given, the work would be completed in 45 months, it said.