Punjab govt has nothing to do with AIIMS, it is the project of the central govt, says Manpreet Badal
State govt has nothing to do with AIIMS Bathinda, says Manpreet Badal: Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal speaking about AIIMS Bathinda in Ludhiana told media reports that, 'the state government has nothing to do with AIIMS, it is the project of the central government.' 'We had to allot land for the project and so we did, it is the responsibility of the center government to complete the project in time,' he added. While on the other hand, calling the proposed AIIMS for Bathinda a “life-line for the people of the region and a once-in-a lifetime project”, Union food processing industry minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal asked Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh to expedite the grant of the requisite No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for civil works that has lead to a delay in the beginning of the work of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Bathinda by four months. The Union health ministry had given the NoC for the transfer four months ago. Yet, the state health department had not issued the NOC to the Bathinda deputy commissioner to effect the transfer, she added. A large percentage of the total project cost of Rs 925 crore, which was 75%, was to be given by the central government, while the Punjab government had to give the rest. Now the Punjab government is refusing to pay the remaining amount. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in November, pledging that the institute will be made functional by 2020. -PTC News
