Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday laid the foundation stone of prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Bathinda — giving Punjab a historic moment.
“AIIMS would set the tone for changing the future of both Punjab and neighbouring States…The healthcare system in the State would witness a major upsurge in terms of providing overall top notch medical solutions to the people of the State from all walks of life,” said Modi, while addressing the gathering.
The 750-bedded AIIMS, expected to be completed by June 2020, will be set up with an outlay of `925 crore and it would be spread over 177 acres of land on the Bathinda-Dabwali road. The land for the project has been given by the State Government.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal lauded Modi for always taking special initiatives for the welfare of farmers and in spree of that, he impressed upon the Prime Minister to allow production of ethanol from maize to enhance their profitability as wheat and paddy alone were no longer suffice to make agrarian economy sustainable and financially viable.
likewise, Badal also urged the Prime Minister to encourage setting of industrial units for the processing of paddy straw to enhance the farmers’ income manifold.
Describing Modi as one of the towering personalities across the globe, the Chief Minister said that it was historic day for the state as the Prime Minister has laid the foundation stone of this prestigious project in the healthcare sector.
He urged Modi to set the date for its inauguration so as to ensure its timely completion and percolation of benefits to the people of Punjab and adjoining States.
Badal envisioned that people would be immensely benefitted from this project as they would get the world class treatment besides imparting medical and nursing education to the students by its constituent Medical and Nursing colleges.
Envisioning the state as a hub of quality healthcare, diagnostic, treatment and research facilities for the patients, Badal said that path breaking initiatives have been taken in the field of health, medical education and research.
He said that these unprecedented steps would reverse the trend of patients going to other states for treatment of fatal diseases like cancer adding that now patients from across the world would visit the state for availing quality treatment for cancer and other fatal diseases.
Badal said that the state government was already providing free treatment to the patients suffering from life threatening diseases like cancer and Hepatitis C.
The Chief Minister said that the country was fortunate to have Modi as Prime Minister, who has a vast experience and expertise of working as the Chief Minister of a progressive state due to which he was well versed with the hardships faced by the states.
Badal also recalled the long association of the Prime Minister with the state during his days as incharge of the BJP affairs in the state. He said that Punjab was very near to the heart of the Prime Minister and hoped that Modi would shower special affection towards the state.
The Chief Minister also hailed Modi for launching several schemes like Swachh Bharat, which were helpful for transforming the destiny of the country.
The Chief Minister assailed the Congress leaders for misleading the people on the issue of waiver of bank loans adding that this step was practically not feasible. Badal said that Congress leaders were issuing such frivolous statements just to attain power in the state.
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal said that the NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a precious gift to the state in the form of AIIMS which would prove beneficial for not only for Punjab but also neighbouring states of Haryana and Rajasthan.
He said that AIIMS would prove to be a game-changer in providing best healthcare facilities to the people with the aid of state of the art modern equipments. He said that this prestigious institution was the need of the hour for which the NDA government has earned the gratitude of all Punjabis.
Coming to the development-centric issues, Sukhbir said that poor families without the gas connections would be given the same very soon. He also informed that the Bathinda airport would be made operational on December 11.
Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal thanked the PM for bestowing this major boon to Punjab and said more infrastructural and development centric sops for the state are in the offing which would make Punjab no. 1 in terms of all developmental parameters.
She also re-iterated that not a single drop of water would be allowed to go outside the state.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda divulged that in Fazilka, a tertiary cancer center, would come up at a cost of Rs 45 crore and many new specialties would be added at the Amritsar, Faridkot and Patiala Government Medical Colleges at a cost of Rs 190 crore.
He also promised to setup one more medical college in the state by upgrading a distinct level civil hospital.
Union Minister Vijay Sampla said that the NDA government led by Modi has launched various welfare schemes for the downtrodden and fulfilled its promises to curb the usage of black money. He said that Modi has sanctioned important projects to the state.