Next AIIMS should be in Darbhanga: Nitish Kumar

Patna (Bihar) [India], August 14 : In continuation of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Darbhanga row, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Monday that it is his government's wish that the next AIIMS should be in Darbhanga.
"We are getting medical colleges constructed everywhere. Don't worry. AIIMS came to Patna and now the next AIIMS should be in Darbhanga...This is our wish...," Nitish Kumar said.
The Bihar Chief Minister said that the Bihar government is committed to building medical colleges and the count of medical colleges has now increased to 11.
"We have built many medical colleges. Earlier six medical colleges were there and now the count has risen to 11...We are making efforts in this direction. We are increasing the count. There is no need to worry," the Bihar Chief Minister said.
Earlier on Saturday, BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi hit out at Nitish Kumar over the AIIMS Darbhanga row saying that Chief Minister Kumar does not want another AIIMS to be made in the region.
Talking to the reporters, the BJP MP said, "Nitish Kumar does not want another AIIMS to be made in Darbhanga, because if it is made its credit will be given to PM Modi...He wants to keep Bihar deprived of development schemes..."
Earlier, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday alleged PM Modi of taking “false credit for opening AIIMS in Darbhanga” and accused him of telling lies.
“Today the Prime Minister was taking false credit for opening AIIMS in Darbhanga. The fact is that #Bihar government has given free 151 acres of land to the Centre for its establishment and also allocated more than 250 crores for earth filling but unfortunately doing politics the Centre did not approve the construction of the proposed AIIMS. The country at least expects truth and facts from the Prime Minister but he told a blatant lie”, he shared in a tweet.
Tejashwi further alleged Mansukh Mandaviya of not responding to the letter or requests over the matter.
“In the month of June, we talked to the Union Health Minister on the telephone, requested him to approve it and also wrote a letter with hope, but till date no positive action has been taken. #Bihar,” Tejashwi said in his tweet.
Responding to this, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya launched a scathing attack on Tejashwi Yadav and asked him to provide “proper place for construction” adding that Modi government does not do politics in development but does politics of development.
In a series of tweets on the microblogging site X (formerly Twitter), Mansukh Mandaviya said that the Modi government’s intention was clear and the permission for AIIMS was given by the government in 2020.
“Dear Tejashwi ji, the Modi government does not do politics in development but does politics of development. Our intention is clear. The permission for AIIMS Darbhanga was given by the Modi government on 19 September 2020 and the first land was given by the Bihar government on 3 November 2021. After this, you came to the government and changed this place on 30 April 2023 while doing politics. The expert committee inspected the land to check the land according to the rules”, he shared in a tweet.
Further, Minister Mandaviya slammed Tejashwi Yadav over the change in the land provided for construction asking him to “come out of politics.”
“On May 26, 2023, the second land provided by the Government of India is not suitable for the construction of AIIMS, such a letter was sent to the Government of Bihar which is included with it. You tell me why the land was changed, in whose interest was it changed?”, he said.
“What did your own MLA say in the Bihar Legislative Assembly about the unsuitable land given for AIIMS? Come out of politics and immediately give proper place for construction of AIIMS!" he added.