Modi's rap speeds up AIIMS Gorakhpur work

LUCKNOW: Progress in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) proposed to come up in Gorakhpur has gained speed after the Prime Minister expressed strong displeasure over the alarming delay in the project.
In his monthly video conference meeting with chief secretaries of all states in April, Modi had inquired about the progress of construction in the project. The meeting is held on the last Wednesday of every month.

UP government officials had informed him that construction had not yet started as the government needed nearly three months to demolish some buildings and other structures on the acquired land. Only after the ground was flat would work begin. At this response, PM Modi expressed his dissatisfaction and asked why it would take such a long time to demolish the old structures. He wanted the work to begin sooner.

A snub by the highest authority of the country pushed the department of medical education to raze the old buildings and hand over a flat ground to the agencies.

Principal secretary medical education Rajneesh Dubey told TOI that there were certain issues flagged during the video conference but they had been addressed by razing 67 small and big structures on the land. Since these buildings belonged to the agriculture and sugarcane departments, certain formalities had to be completed before their demolition.

Dubey said the land had been handed over for the first phase of construction which included the OPD, diagnostic and Ayush wings.