SRINAGAR: Mehbooba Mufti’s visit to the under-construction AIIMS Awantipora site in south Kashmir to assess the pace of work has sparked a political controversy in Jammu and Kashmir. A senior minister in the Omar Abdullah-led government and Peoples Conference chairman and MLA Sajad Lone questioned the authority under which the PDP chief and former chief minister conducted the review of the project.
Mehbooba, accompanied by PDP legislators Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra and Rafiq Ahmad Naik, visited the project site in Pulwama district to take stock of progress on the key healthcare infrastructure project.
The AIIMS Awantipora project was sanctioned in 2015 when late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, founder of the PDP and father of Mehbooba Mufti, was Chief Minister of erstwhile J&K state.
During her visit, officials gave her a detailed briefing on the status of construction, infrastructure development and the projected timeline for completion of the institution.
Seeking clarity on the project’s operational schedule, Mehbooba asked officials to specify when the healthcare facility would become functional and start serving patients.
The PDP chief reiterated her commitment to support every effort aimed at ensuring the timely completion of the health institution.
“We want that this institution should be ready and once people step in, they should feel it is Delhi-like AIIMS,” Mehbooba said.
The visit by Mehbooba, who is neither an MLA nor MP, drew criticism from the ruling NC-led government.
Senior NC leader and Health Minister Sakina Itoo in a post on X said, “Some people seem to be suffering from political amnesia. They still behave as if they are in power, even though they lost office in 2018 and have since been repeatedly rejected by the people.”
She said the elected government today is led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
“Yet, one wonders in what capacity former rulers are conducting reviews of the AIIMS Awantipora project,” she said. “More importantly, who is signalling them to undertake such exercises? Which power centre in Delhi is directing these actions?”
According to the minister, it is ironic that those because of whom the AIIMS project moved at a painfully slow pace are now trying to claim ownership of its progress.
She said the fact is that the project is moving towards completion because of focused efforts, monitoring and commitment of the present government under the leadership of CM.
“People of Jammu and Kashmir are wise enough to distinguish between those who delayed development and those who are ensuring its delivery,” added the minister.
Reacting to Health Minister’s statement, PDP MLA Waheed Para, who was accompanying Mehbooba, said J&K is in the midst of a health emergency. Cancer is taking lives every single day, yet those in power seem more concerned about who visits AIIMS than why it is still not fully functional.
“CM Omar Abdullah personally questioned the location of AIIMS Awantipora, never made it a priority to regularly review its progress, and has spent more time outside the state or managing party affairs than ensuring this critical institution becomes operational. Now the same government is reportedly upset because former CM Mehbooba Mufti visited the site along with local MLAs,” Para said in a post on X.
“What is even more shocking is that instead of demanding accountability for delays, AIIMS officials are being summoned to the CM’s private office tomorrow at 8 am and allegedly questioned about why a former Chief Minister visited a project that was conceived and initiated during Mehbooba Mufti’s tenure,” he said.
According to Para, a government backed by 50 MLAs should not be intimidated by a site visit.
“It should be ashamed that patients are still waiting for world-class healthcare while politics continues to take precedence over people’s lives,” added the PDP MLA.
However, Peoples Conference president and MLA Sajad Lone came in defence of the Omar government alleging it is direct hit at the constitutional competencies of the elected government. “And these constitutional competencies are the constitutional assets of the people of Jammu and Kashmir”.
“They are with the CM for a period of 5 years. He has no right to allow them to be trampled upon or allow to set a precedence for an unconstitutional trespass,” Lone said.
He said in what capacity did Mehbooba chair a review meeting of an institution, which comes under the domain of the BJP led central government.
“Did the authorisation come from Delhi. Constitutionally, she can’t head a review meeting of the local departments which function under the elected government. Chairing Central government institutions review meetings is a constitutional impossibility,” added the Peoples Conference chairman.
“Was there a fresh notification? A government order? A special authorization from BJP? Or are we now operating under a new constitutional arrangement where selected few can bypass constitutional protocol. Are we shifting from a dual power centre to a Troika. Is she the new shadow Chief Minster,” Lone questioned.
“Can Mamta Banerjee or Stalin both ex chief ministers, chair review meetings. What is the special arrangement in J and K. Under what law did she chair a meeting of AIIMS,” the PC chairman further questioned.
