PM Modi Inaugurates AIIMS In Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Kothipura in Bilaspur district on Wednesday.

Spread over an area of about 247 acres, this Rs. 1471 crore 750-bedded premier medical institute would provide super speciality medical treatment to people of the region.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur thanked Prime Minister for dedicating developmental projects worth Rs. 3653 crores to the State.

BJP national president JP Nadda lauded the efforts and said, "Despite the pandemic, ambitious project of AIIMS has been completed in a record time".

The Prime Minister also inaugurated Rs. 140 crore Government Hydro Engineering College at Bandla in Bilaspur and the laid foundation stones of Rs. 350 crore Medical Devices Park to be set up at Nalagarh and Pinjore-Nalagarh four-lane road project to be constructed under the Bharat Mala project at a cost of Rs. 1,692 crore.

While addressing a mammoth public meeting at historic Luhnu ground in Bilaspur, the Prime Minister greeted the people in the local Bilaspur dialect.

He said, "All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Bilaspur would be known as the 'Green AIIMS' as it has been built in an eco-friendly manner and AIIMS Bilaspur would not only increase access to affordable healthcare in the State but also provide specialised health care facilities to the people of the region nearer to their homes".

"The Centre Government during the last eight years has worked to ensure that benefits of development reach the remotest parts of the country", PM added.

Prime Minister said that the State of Himachal Pradesh has played a crucial role in guarding the frontiers of the nation (Rashtra Raksha) and now the AIIMS would go a long way in making Himachal a destination for 'Jeevan Raksha".

Narendra Modi said that Himachal Pradesh was one of the three states chosen for establishing a Bulk Drug Park and one of the four states chosen for a Medical Device Park. The credit for this goes to the faith and support the people of the state have provided to the Centre Government.

He added that medical tourism was another important sector that needed to be promoted in Himachal so that when people from across the world would come to India, they shall visit Himachal as the State has a beautiful and healthy environment.

Prime Minister also appreciated the work done by the State Government in the Covid-19 vaccination drive and the effective implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission. He said that the social security cover provided by the State was also laudable and termed Himachal Pradesh a land of opportunities.

Earlier, on his arrival at AIIMS Bilaspur helipad, the Prime Minister received a warm welcome by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Thakur, Nadda, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur and the state cabinet Ministers.

The Prime Minister made a walkthrough of the Hospital Block, CT Scan Centre and Emergency and Trauma area of the AIIMS. The AIIMS authorities also made a demonstration of the 3D Model of AIIMS before the Prime Minister.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Dev Bhoomi Himachal said, "People of the State would always remain indebted to the love and benevolence showered by the Prime Minister to the State". He said that providing AIIMS to a small State like Himachal Pradesh with only 70 lakh population shows the concern of the Prime Minister towards the development of the State and the welfare of the people of Himachal Pradesh.

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Thakur said, "The present State Government was about to complete its five years tenure and during this period, the State Government ensured that State progress in all spheres of development". He said that developmental projects worth Rs. 10,000 crores were sanctioned for the State during this period by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and these projects would go a long way in giving a boost to the development of the State.

Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing Bulk Drug Park for the State and said, "this Park would be spread over 1,405 acres in Haroli and would prove a game changer for the people of the region". He said that the expected investment in this park was about Rs. 50,000 crores and would provide direct employment to over 30,000 persons and 90 per cent of the project cost with the maximum limit of Rs. 1000 crore would be provided by the Government of India.

Member of Parliament and National BJP President JP Nadda said that setting up AIIMS outside Delhi was a vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the first AIIMS was established in Delhi way back in 1960.

He said that Hydro Engineering College at Bandla in Bilaspur was also a big gift from the Prime Minister to the State and the Kol Dam Project was also started during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and dedicated to the State by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Nadda further added that the work on the Luhri Project could also be started only after the BJP came to power at the Centre and the Atal Tunnel was also a gift of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the people of the State. "With the construction of this tunnel, the dream of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was fulfilled", he added.

He said that the Congress Government always ignored the interests of the State, whereas the status of the special category state was restored by Prime Minister. He said that the 90:10 ratio for Central-State share for centrally sponsored projects was also restored during the tenure of the BJP and the Hatti Community of Sirmour district was also accorded tribal status by the Prime Minister and with this their long pending demand was fulfilled. He further thanked the Prime Minister for not only giving the State adequate representation in the Government as well as organisation, but also empowering common Himachali.

Anurag Singh Thakur said that Himachal Pradesh has been fortunate to always have the benevolence of the Prime Minister. He said that it was through the strong leadership provided by the Prime Minister that India was today emerging as a world power.

"Administering over 200 crore vaccine dosages free of cost to the people of the country against corona vaccine and free ration to 80 crore people for 28 months during the pandemic and providing PM Kissan Samman Niddhi of Rs. 6000 per annum to the farmers of the country was only possible due to dynamic leadership of Narendra Modi", he added.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Member of Parliament and State BJP President Suresh Kashyap, Member of Parliament Kishan Kapoor, Indu Goswami and Prof. Sikander Kumar shared the dais with the Prime Minister, whereas State Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of various Boards and Corporation, Chief Secretary R.D. Dhiman, Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu, Principal Secretaries Bharat Khera and Subhaseesh Panda were also present on the occasion among others.

(With inputs from ANI)

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