SHAKEELA ANDRABI
SRINAGAR: The construction work on AIIMS Kashmir, which is one of the most important projects in healthcare sector, will now pick up pace as 5,001 mt long boundary wall is near completion after a long halt in construction work. The work of boundary wall was disrupted by Victor Force, which raised some issues after which a committee, constituted by Government of India directed Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to revise Master Plan of the project in accordance with ‘security instructions issued by Ministry of Defence’.
Recently Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, P K Pole along with District Development Commissioner, Pulwama Baseer Ul Haq Choudhary and other officials visited the site for AIIMS at Awantipora to take stock development works being executed. On the occasion, officials of Central Public Works Department, executing agency for AIIMS project, informed that out of 5,001 mt long boundary wall work on 4,500 mt has been completed while rest will also be completed very soon.
The Government of India has sanctioned Rs 1,828 cr for the project, out of which Rs 234.51 cr have been released so far. During the visit, the DDC enquired about construction of approach road to AIIMS, provision of water and electricity facilities and other related utilities for the prestigious project.
The institute to be established at Awantipora, is part of Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) which was announced on November 7, 2015 and is expected to get completed by September 2025. Last year in 2020, the then Union Minister of State for Health and Medical Education, Ashwini Kumar Choubey had also informed the Parliament that AIIMS Kashmir will be completed by 2025 while AIIMS Jammu is scheduled to be completed by 2023, though both projects were commissioned in the same year.
According to officials, construction agency-CPWD has finished more than 90 per cent of boundary wall construction work and work on the project will now be expedited so that it can be completed within stipulated timeframe. The AIIMS, according to official information, is supposed to have 750-bed capacity and would cater to needs of about 1,500 OPD cases on daily-basis.
Executive Engineer R&B informed that work on double-lane approach road to AIIMS, coming up at an estimated cost of Rs 1,650 cr, has also been taken up. The Divisional Commissioner urged officers to work in tandem so that construction of premier health institute is carried out in a smooth and expeditious manner.