Chennai, June 6(BPNS)

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written a letter to Prime minister Narendra Modi requesting his personal intervention to commence the construction of All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS) at Thopur, Madurai.

Stalin in the letter written to the Prime minister on Saturday said that even though the Prime minister had laid the foundation stone of the Madurai,AIIMS on January 27,2019 and land for the prestigious institution being already transferred,no progress has been made into the construction of the building.  He said that other than the construction of a compound wall no other physical activity had taken place regarding the building.

In the letter, Stalin said,” I request that an expert and dedicated team of officers with adequate financial and administrative powers be appointed immediately and measures be taken by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to finalise and commence its construction with immediate effect.”

The Centre had appointed a president and an executive director and constituted some committees for the institute. However, this committee does not have the required mandate and authority to execute a project of this size.

The Chief minister in his letter said, “The construction of this institute and commencing its operation will help the people of the Southern Districts of Tamil Nadu with tertiary care and this would also benefit people of neighbouring states.”

It may be noted that during the run-up to the elections, Stalin’s son and DMK youth wing leader Udayanidhi Stalin had lashed out against the Government of India and Prime minister Narendra Modi for the non-commissioning of AIIMS. He had even raised a brick as a symbolic representation of the AIIMS in a public programme at Madurai which had drawn anger from the BJP and the AIADMK cadres while lauded and appreciated by the DMK and allies on the political acumen of the young Scion of the DMK family.