While people of Jammu region are eagerly awaiting start of construction work on AIIMS like institution sanctioned by the Union Government Health Minister JP Nadda on Sunday laid the foundation stone for three new medical colleges at Rajouri, Anantnag and Baramulla districts to further strengthen the health care infrastructure for a large section of deprived population in the State. The Union Health Ministry had recently approved the site for opening of new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Vijaypur in Samba district but on ground zero the construction work is yet to begin. The Union Health Ministry had earlier approved five new Medical Colleges for the State including Baramulla and Anantnag in Kashmir and Rajouri, Doda and Kathua in Jammu. Former Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had originally sanctioned the proposal of setting up of four new medical colleges in February 2014. However, nod for starting work on opening of three Medical Colleges of Baramulla, Anantnag and Rajouri were given while the decision on two other Colleges of Kathua and Doda was withheld due to delay in completion of formalities. "The Union Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to the upgradation and modernisation of health care institutions in Jammu and Kashmir and in this connection, the State will soon have two cancer hospitals," Nadda said while speaking after laying the foundation stone of Government Medical College in frontier Rajouri district of the Jammu region. Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, State health Minister Bali Bhagat were also present on the occasion.~