Outfit launches indefinite protest demanding AIIMS in Raichur district

Raichuru: Disgruntlement over being passed over for the establishment of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raichur, like-minded activists and individuals, from across all spheres in the district, have united and launched an indefinite strike to exert pressure on the state government to revise its decision. The protest is being held under the aegis of the AIIMS Horata Samiti, which is serving as the umbrella organisation steering the agitation. Launched on Friday at the Mahatma Gandhi Stadium in Raichuru town, the protest appears to be gaining momentum with more organisations pledging support to the cause.
Members of the samiti are careful not to allow the protest to take a political turn, since the fight is aimed at making elected representatives across the spectrum acknowledge the problem. Emphasising the neglect of the district, which had, in turn, resulted in imbalance in development, the protesters pointed out that, previously Raichur, which had hoped that the state and central governments would establish the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) there, had been left disappointed. Between 2010 and ’16, activists protested demanding that the government set up IIT in Raichuru, only to have their dreams dashed when Dharwad was chosen ahead of their district.
AIIMS Horata Samiti convener, Basavaraj Kalasa pointed out that Raichuru was counted among the backward districts in the state. “According to the recommendations of the Dr Nanjundappa Committee report, the government must have established IIT in Raichur, but the project was diverted to Dharwad for political reasons. We fought for more than six years, but we were denied. Development in Kalyana Karnataka has remained on paper, and no political party seems eager to change this reality. The then chief minister Siddaramaiah had suggested that the IIT be established in Raichuru, Mysuru or Dharwad,” Kalasa told TOI.
Members of the samiti subsequently called on BS Yediyurappa when he became the CM in 2019, who, assured them that the district would house the premier medical institution, AIIMS. “But when Basavaraj Bommai became the CM, he wrote to the Centre, asking for the institution to be set up in Hubballi-Dharwad,” Kalasa said.
Questioning the double standards of the government, Kalasa asked why no surveys were ordered prior to the setting up of thermal power plants that posed a threat to the life of the people, while teams were instructed to inspect infrastructure before setting up educational institutions. “People across Kalyana Karnataka need access to premium healthcare at an affordable cost, and AIIMS will serve this purpose,” he added.
Kalasa said that they were intent on keeping the fight apolitical at all costs, and would not rest till the government announced that AIIMS would be set up in Raichuru.