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Jharkhand CM writes to Mandaviya over under-hiring of locals at AIIMS Deoghar
In his letter to Mansukh Mandaviya, chief minister Hemant Soren said that 90 per cent of staff at AIIMS Deoghar hail from other states, which is “not conducive” to the public good.
Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Monday wrote a letter to the Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya over “under-representation” of local people of the state among the staff employed at All India Institute of Mecial Sciences (AIIMS) at Deoghar.
Taking to Twitter, Soren shared the letter and wrote, “For Jharkhand, especially in and around Santhal Pargana, AIIMS Deoghar will be a platform of excellence in both medical education and public health.”
Raising his “concerns” with the newly-appointed health minister, Soren stated in his letter that 90 per cent of staff at AIIMS Deoghar hail from other states. “This is not conducive to the public good,” the chief minister’s letter read.
Soren further wrote that the institute should recruit local people “as far as possible” so that they get employees who “better understand the community they serve”. Such an approach will also contribute to the “economic upliftment” of Deoghar, the letter added.
The chief minister also stated that the Jharkhand government is “committed” to providing employment opportunities to the local citizens, and accordingly had set up the Jharkhand State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2021. This bill permits 75 per cent reservation in private sector jobs with a remuneration of up to ₹30,000 for local people, Soren’s letter highlighted.
“I request you to look into this issue as a matter of great urgency and importance and ensure that the local people of Jharkhand are employed to ensure engagement with the local community,” Soren’s letter mentioned.
The central government had announced the establishment of an AIIMS in Jharkhand in the 2017-18 Union budget. Following that, the state government identified a 236.92-plot in Deoghar to set up the hospital-cum-medical institution. In May 2018, funds to the tune of ₹1,000 crore was given a nod by the centre, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had even laid the foundation stone.
AIIMS Deoghar inducted its first batch of MBBS students in 2019 by admitting 50 candidates. However, the institution increased the capacity to 62 last year.
(With inputs from agencies)
