Mahoba children greet PM on b'day, seek AIIMS as 'return gift'

Mahoba (UP), Sep 17: On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 65th birthday today over 10,000 school children in the district sent him a 65-meter-long cloth with wishes simultaneously demanding an AIIMS as a "return gift".

"Children sent their wishes to the PM with an expectation of (approval of) an AIIMS as a return gift to the residents of this district, which lacks basic health facilities," Tara Patkar, coordinator of the campaign told PTI.

Patkar said through their wishes, the children want the Prime Minister to accept their demand for approval of an AIIMS for the district. The residents of the districts have been adopting novel ways to draw his attention towards the demand.

They have sent him over two lakh letters in 18 languages, including Urdu and Sanskrit, and 'selfie with patients' on the lines of 'selfie with daughters' campaign. People of this district are also giving message of communal harmony for the demand. While Hindus observed Roza (fast) with their Muslim neighbours during the holy month of Ramzan, Muslims wrote to Prime Minister in Sanskrit, he said.

"All our campaigns have got tremendous response from the locals, who want better health care facilities," he said. Mahoba, situated at the heart of Bundelkhand, lacks medical care facilities.

The patients admitted in primary health centres have to be referred to Kanpur, Lucknow, Agra and neigbouring Madhya Pradesh, he said. "Setting up of AIIMS will help the entire region, spread over seven districts in UP and five in MP," he said adding people of the district are ready to arrange land for AIIMS.

The PMO had sought details of the campaign in May this year but nothing concrete came out of it, he said. Governor Ram Naik had also forwarded a letter to the Centre for suitable action on the demand, he said.

"We want policy makers to acknowledge our unity and take a positive decision for setting up of AIIMS in the district," Patkar added.

PTI