By P Sreekumaran
Kerala has stepped up the pressure for an All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), with both the CPI(M) and the CPI taking to the path of agitation.
The CPI(M) fired the first salvo by launching an agitation, a few weeks ago, for establishing the AIIMS at Kinalur in Kozhikode district. The CPI(M)’s demand was that the State Government prefer Kinalur as its location. The Communist Party of India (CPI) followed suit with its Balussery unit holding a protest demonstration. The CPI condemned the reported move by the State Government to propose Kottayam as a possible location.
It may be mentioned that the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) had already identified around 250 acres in Kinalur and Kanthalad villages in Kozhikode district for the institute. The latest move was nothing but an insult to the people of Kinalur who expressed their willingness to give up their land.
Around 150 acres under the control of the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) have been handed over to the Directorate of Medical Education. Procedures to acquire another 100 acres from residents were also complete.
According to CPI leaders, a section of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including Union Minister and Thrissur MP Suresh Gopi, were trying to lobby for locations such as Alappuzha. CPI’s Kozhikode district secretary P. Gavas has asked Kozhikode MP M. K. Raghavan and MLAs from the district to clarify their stand on the issue.
On their part, functionaries of the Calicut Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) said at a press conference that the Kerala High Court had asked the Union Government to conduct a feasibility study at Kinalur, which showed the importance of the location. The CCCI is of the firm view that Kinalur was an ideal site in view of the good road, rail and air connectivity and proximity to tertiary healthcare institutions such as the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode.
Moreover, setting up the AIIMS at Kinalur would benefit around two crore people from Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, Malappuram and Palakkad districts. Lakshadweep also stands to benefit if the AIIMS was set up at Kinalur. It would also give a big boost to the healthcare sector in north Kerala.
There is no point going in for other locations for the institute as the State Government has already made good progress in land acquisition at Kinalur, the CCCI felt. Also, avoiding Kinalur would amount to neglecting the developmental aspirations of the Malabar region. The Chamber leaders are planning to meet both Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan and Health Minister K. Muralidharan to convey their concerns over the issue.
Meanwhile, the AIIMS issue has acquired a new dimension with Kasaragod district also staking its claim for the institute. Kasaragod Collector Arjun Pandian is learnt to have submitted a comprehensive proposal to the State Government recommending 274.69 acres of Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK) land at Periye in the district as the most suitable site for establishing the AIIMS.
The proposal has been submitted to the secretary, Health Department after the site was inspected following a request from Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan. The proposal, prepared within 10 days in accordance with the Government’s instructions, includes digital survey sketch, drone footage and photographs of the proposed site.
The Collector said that Periye has a lot to commend itself as the ideal site for the Institute. The land at Periye, the collector claimed, met all the criteria prescribed by the Union Government for an institution comprising an AIIMS-level super-specialty hospital and medical college.
The Union Governments requirements are: a minimum of 200 acres of land at a suitable location, road connectivity, adequate availability of water and electricity and necessary land and infrastructure facilities. The proposed site comprises 274.69 acres of contiguous Government-owned PCK land in Pullur-Periye panchayat.
The Collector said the area had strong road, rail and air connectivity. The site is close to National Highway 66 and has good local and interstate transport facilities. While Mangaluru and Kannur airports provide air connectivity, Kanhangad and Kasaragod railway stations are nearby. The main source of water for the proposed site would be Munnamkadavu. As for uninterrupted electricity supply, it could be ensured through the Mayilatti power station and the Mavungal sub-station.
If the AIIMS is set up at Periye, it could be of tremendous help for the victims of exposure to pesticide endosulfan in Kasaragod. It could also serve as an apex centre for super-specialty treatment, rehabilitation, neurology and long-term follow-up of endosulfan victims in the district.
But at the end of the day, the issue could be clinched only if all the political parties launch a joint agitation both at the State level and in the national capital. The LDF has already offered to the UDF that a joint action should be launched to protest against the bifurcation of the Palakkad railway division. A similar action is highly desideratum to secure the AIIMS for Kerala, too. (IPA Service)
