Uttarakhand CM meets Amit Shah with request for an AIIMS in Kumaon region

Earlier in the day, Dhami met defence minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi and urged him to recommend conversion of the proposed Tanakpur-Bageshwar narrow gauge railway line into broad gauge

Published on: Aug 11, 2021, 23:11:09 IST

By Neeraj Santoshi, Dehradun

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Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday requested Union home minister Amit Shah for setting up an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the Kumaon region of the state. Dhami made the request during a courtesy meeting with Shah in Delhi.

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami made a courtesy call to Union home minister Amit Shah in new Delhi. (HT Photo)

Dhami told Shah that thought there was one AIIMS in Rishikesh, but due to difficult hilly terrain, people in far-flung areas of the state are missing out on super-specialty healthcare. “If an AIIMS is set up in Kumaon, it will not only cater to the people of the region but also to those living in bordering districts of Uttar Pradesh. Dhami said land will be provided for AIIMS by the state government, said a statement issued by the state government.

Dhami also requested Shah for help in establishing an Indian Science Education and Research Institute in Dehradun.

Earlier in the day, Dhami met defence minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi and urged him to recommend conversion of the proposed Tanakpur-Bageshwar narrow gauge railway line into broad gauge by the Railways keeping in mind tourism potential and strategic concerns.

“The proposed narrow gauge will not address the basic requirements, transport problems or the strategic concerns in the area. As the area is near Nepal and China, rail-line in this area has significant strategic importance. So, this narrow gauge should be changed to broad gauge. The rain line will also link new trade centres in the region”, he said

The chief minister also requested Singh that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Uttarakhand for the proposed Military School at Jakholi in Rudraprayag district, be amended to include financial assistance for development of infrastructural facilities there.

Dhami has already met Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union minister of state for tourism and defence Ajay Bhatt, Rajya Sabha MP from Uttarakhand Anil Baluni and Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat since arriving in Delhi on Tuesday.

Dhami was assured during his meeting with Shekhawat that the Centre will soon sanction ₹4,673 crore for the 300 MW Lakhwad multi-purpose project located on Yamuna river in Dehradun district.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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