MINISTER ALLEGES STEP-MOTHERLY TREATMENT BY THE CENTRE OVER ESTABLISHMENT OF AIIMS IN RAICHUR*

State Govt ready to provide required infrastructure facilities

Dr. Patil says Centre bungled in conducting NEET exam

Bengaluru, July 15: Expressing displeasure over the delay in the establishment of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the backward Kalyana Karnataka’s Raichur, Medical Education Minister Dr. Sharan Prakash Patil on Monday said that the Centre was meting out step-motherly treatment to Karnataka despite the state government’s readiness to provide all the necessary infrastructure facilities.

Replying to JD(S) MLC Thippeswamy’s query in the legislative council regarding setting up of AIIMS in Raichur, Minister Dr. Sharan Prakash Patil accused the Centre of inaction. “Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, myself, MPs and legislators from the Kalyana Karnataka region met the Union Health Minister twice but to no avail. The state government has promised to provide all the necessary infrastructure facilities such as land, power and water but the Centre has not taken any action. All the states in the country are getting AIIMS except Karnataka and Kerala. The Centre has been meting out step-motherly treatment to Karnataka,” Dr. Patil alleged.

The minister further added that AIIMS in Raichur which is part of the backward Kalyana Karnataka region is a long-pending demand and starting the institution here would greatly help surrounding districts. “Why the Centre is not responding to our demand despite the Chief Minister’s multiple meetings with the concerned minister, how long should we try? We just want the Centre to set up AIIMS in our state like in other states. You should put pressure through your MPs,” Dr. Patil told BJP MLC CT Ravi while countering him.

NEET EXAM IS CENTRE’S FIASCO

Responding to Ivan D’Souza of Congress over NEET, the minister pointed out the Centre’s blunder in conducting the exam. “The Centre has been conducting this exam with tight security every year but this year it bungled which resulted in lakhs of students facing hardships. It tried to cover up the incident initially but ordered CBI probe later and arrested many. Now it has admitted irregularities in the court and FIRs have been registered in many states. The NEET is being conducted by the Centre after passing the bill in both houses of the parliament and even the Supreme Court upheld it. So only the parliament can bring amendments,” Dr. Patil stated.

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