Ramadoss criticises Jaya's remarks in JIPMER issue

Chennai, Sep 20 (UNI) Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder leader S Ramadoss today criticised AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa for her remarks that the JIPMER hospital, if given autonomous status, would become his ''family property''.

In a statement here, the PMK leader, defending the Centre's move to accord autonomous status to JIPMER in Puducherry, condemned Ms Jayalalithaa for her charge that the PMK was trying to take control of the institution, by converting it as an autonomous body.

Even after becoming autonomous, JIPMER would continue to remain in control of the Union government, like hundreds of autonomous institutions in the country, he said.

Dr Ramadoss said ''If JIPMER comes under the control of Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss today, it would come under the control of another Health Minister later.'' Referring to Ms Jayalalithaa's strongly worded statement on the issue, the PMK Leader said Ms Jayalalithaa who had been Chief Minsiter of the State for ten years, stooped to the level of a third grade platform speaker to level charges against him due to political animosity.

On the controversy surrounding the autonomous status to JIPMER, Dr Ramadoss said hundreds of Central and State Government Institutions, had been given autonomous status but they have not become family properties of any individual.

If more than 50 such institutions in Tamil Nadu became autonomous for various reasons, JIPMER had more reasons to become autonomous, he said adding the status would help the institution to expand and raise its standard. The benefits would ultimately reach the people of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, he added.

He said Ms Jayalalithaa had no moral right to oppose autonomous status being given to JIPMER as, while being in power, she had dismissed about two lakh Government employees at one stroke for launching a strike without any concern for the working class.

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