Raising the issue in the Assembly, Leader of the Opposition MK Stalin sought to know the current status of the Bills exempting the state from the NEET passed last year. “In case the Centre had put the Bills in cold storage without taking action over it deliberately, a petition should be filed in the Supreme Court to get Presidential assent seeking a direction to the Centre,” he said. 

In February 2017, Tamil Nadu government had adopted two Bills seeking to exempt the state from the purview of the NEET and to ensure continuation of medical admissions based on Class 12 marks.

Replying, Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar said, “The President has withheld the Bills,” adding the government has sought to know the reasons from the Centre. The Minister said the government was ready to face the issue legally as well.

Assailing the Centre for bringing in the national test by not respecting the state’s rights, Stalin said it had shattered the dreams of poor and rural students to become doctors. Alleging that the test posed a big threat to social justice putting the state students under stress, he said there were confusions concerning the NEET starting from the question paper to examination centres. It may be recalled that translation errors were reported in the NEET question paper and several aspirants from Tamil Nadu had to go to states including Kerala to take the exam.

When Stalin referred to allegations that some students belonging to other states attempted getting medical admissions here by getting nativity certificates, Vijaya Baskar said the rules have been tightened to avert such a situation. He said as many as 12 new provisions have been included to see to it that only students belonging to Tamil Nadu got admissions.

“Barring the All-India quota (15 per cent), there is no scope for students from other states to get admissions in Tamil Nadu quota (85 per cent),” he said. When the DMK leader said reports claimed that no financial allocation has been made for setting up of AIIMS in Tamil Nadu though the location (Madurai) has been finalised, the Minister replied that it will be made.

“Financial sanction will be made after the (Union) Cabinet approval for the Detailed Project Report, (which is being finalised),” he said.

Vijaya Baskar said Tamil Nadu had also immediately sent to the Centre minutes of a meeting signifying compliance to the five conditions set out by the Central government to establish AIIMS in Madurai.

Among the conditions are four-lane access roads from national highway and dedicated power supply.

State Revenue Minister RB Udhayakumar on Thursday clarified in the Assembly that the 262 acres earmarked for the proposed AIIMS hospital in Madurai belonged to the government and no private land was required to be acquired for the project. 

Responding to DMK MLA Moorthy, who, while participating in the budget debate, drew the government’s attention to pay compensation in tune with the market rate to donors of land acquired for the Madurai – Natham Road, Minister Udhayakumar said the donors of the road project were compensated as per the New Land Acquisition Act. 

Stating that some messages were being spread via WhatsApp that protests would be organised if donors of land for AIIMS project were not duly compensated, the Minister clarified to the House that the 262 acres to be taken for the hospital project belong to the government and not a foot of land must be acquired (from anyone).