BJP misled the nation during NDA rule: Azad

Srinagar, July 31 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) misled the nation during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule over the construction of 12 Medical Institutes in different parts of the country.

There was no cabinet sanction, no allocation of funds or details about the construction of these institutions on the pattern of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, Mr Azad said as a reply to a question in the assembly on the then Union minister for Health and Medical education laying foundation stone of such an institute at Jammu.

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has now sanctioned Rs 100 crore for Jammu and Srinagar for the institutes while Jammu and Kashmir government too have to contribute Rs 20 crores each, he informed.

He said the announcement of construction of 12 medical institutes on the pattern of AIIMS in different state by the NDA government was just a political gimmick.

The announcement was made shortly before Lok Sabha elections for which foundation stones were also laid without any cabinet sanction, allocation of funds and other details.

''We also got misled and approached Sushmaji to sanction one such Institute for Jammu since we have one in Srinagar,'' Mr Azad said and added the foundation stone was laid by her. We failed to realise then that it was just a political gimmick for election.'' He said after the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government took over at the centre, no file was found on the construction of these institutions in the ministry.

It was all for election and nothing else, he said.

However, he announced that the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has agreed to give Rs 100 crore to construct a Medical institute at Jammu and Rs 100 crore for upgradation of Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences at Soura. He said state had to contribute Rs 20 crores for each institute.

The government has identified 2500 kanals at Narwal and a team from union health ministry also visited there recently.

He said the team was of the opinion that we should upgrade the existing Jammu medical college instead of going for new institute.

Mr Azad said of the Rs 100 crore, Rs 40 crores for construction infrastructure and the remaining Rs 60 crores for purchasing state of the art- equipments.

UNI BAS FMH SB RK1425