BATHINDA: SAD leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal Saturday accused Punjab Health Minister Brahm Mohindra of dragging his feet over setting up of a temporary campus for the Rs 925 crore Bathinda AIIMS project.
She also alleged that Mohindra had conspired with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Punjab Ekta Party to derail the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) project.
"Punjab health minister Brahm Mohindra should explain why he did not do his job and approach the Centre for establishing a temporary campus for AIIMS, Bathinda," questioned the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader.
She advised Mohindra to start working for the welfare of the youth and make the temporary AIIMS campus at the Baba Farid University, Faridkot operational immediately.
"This is what you have been elected for. You should have gone to Delhi to get the project expedited," the Union food processing industry minister in the Narendra Modi government said in the statement. "The truth of the matter was that the expert committee of PGI had recommended that the temporary campus of AIIMS, Bathinda be established in Faridkot so that the first batch of MBBS for the 2019-20 academic year can be started," she added.
"It is unfortunate that the FM, as well as leaders of other political parties including AAP State Convener Bhagwant Mann and PEP leader Sukhpal Khaira, have joined hands to derail AIIMS, Bathinda and deny the youth their due," she alleged.
"It was befuddling that Mohindra and his office was not able to comprehend the recommendation of the PGI Expert Committee which clearly stated 'the institutional arrangements' (for Temporary Campus) will have to be worked between Baba Farid University and AIIMS, Bathinda," she said.
The SAD leader further claimed that both the Union ministry as well as PGI, Chandigarh which was the mentor institution for AIIMS, Bathinda had approved the temporary campus.