Bihar student union collects bricks for symbolic foundation-laying of AIIMS

Even though the union Cabinet approved the construction of AIIMS, Darbhanga, in September last year, construction is yet to begin

Peeved over the inordinate delay in construction of Bihar’s second AIIMS at Darbhanga, activists of Mithila Students Union (MSU) have launched a campaign to collect bricks from households for a symbolic foundation-laying ceremony on September 8.

AIIMS Patna. AIIMS Darbhanga is supposed to be Bihar’s second AIIMS. (HT Archive)

Subsequently, a social media campaign with ten different hashtags in support of AIIMS will also take place during the period.

Founder (ex) president of MSU Anup Maithil said they have observed that though a “double-engine government”-- with the National Democratic Alliance both at the Centre and in the state-- was in power, not a single brick was added to the construction site. The Cabinet approval for AIIMS was granted in September last year.

“In the next few days, MSU activists will conduct awareness campaigns in villages by taking out cycle rallies across different blocks to garner support in this regard,” Maithil said.

Recently, the Bihar government granted financial approval of ₹13.23 crore for earth filling work --levelling of 75 acres of low-lying land in the first phase. A total of 200 acres land on DMCH campus was earmarked for AIIMS for which the union Cabinet had granted its approval. AIIMS was to be constructed at an estimated cost of ₹1264 crore in 48 months.

According to Bihar information and public relations department minister Sanjay Kumar Jha, “After providing 200 acres of land for the construction of AIIMS in Darbhanga, the Bihar government has also given administrative and expenditure approval to spend ₹13.23 crore for soil filling and levelling on it. Efforts are being made to complete the construction of AIIMS with quality within the stipulated period.”