AIIMS IN JAMMU

As State delays land acquisition, Centre says 'can't promise any timeline'

DC Samba, Sheetal Nanda told The NEWS NOW

"The Forest Land acquisition process is almost complete. After issuance of a formal possession order by Forest Department to Health Department, the forest land would be acquired officially." "As far as Private Land is concerned, a draft proposal is ready but it will take some time to acquire the land fully. The process on acquisition of other two lands i.e. Custodian Land and State Land is yet to be started."

BIVEK MATHUR

JAMMU: With state government delaying the acquisition of land for setting up the AIIMS-level hospital in Jammu, the Union Health Ministry stated that it cannot finalize any timeline for construction of the premier institute.
"Land has not yet been handed over to Government of India. The timelines can be finalized only after the land is transferred," Union Minister of State (MoS) for Health and Family Welfare, Faggan Singh Kulaste said in reply to a written question of Shamsher Singh Manhas, Member Parliament from Jammu in Rajya Sabha on March 21.
The MP had sought details regarding the current status of land acquisition for setting up AIIMS in Jammu and the expected dateline for starting the project.
Two AIIMS would be established in the state, one each in Jammu's Samba District and Kashmir's Pulwama District, at the cost earmarked at Rs 4000 Crore under Prime Minister's Reconstruction Package for the state. The prestigious health institutions would be set up over 200 kanals of land each.
In Samba's Vijaypur Town, the concerned district administration has to acquire 200 kanals of land comprising of four segments-State Land, Forest Land, Custodian Land and Private Land.
After identification of land at Vijaypur in September last year, the land acquisition process started but till today the administration has not completed the land acquisition process.
DC Samba, Sheetal Nanda told The News Now, "The Forest Land acquisition process is almost complete. After issuance of a formal possession order by Forest Department to Health Department, the forest land would be acquired officially."
"As far as Private Land is concerned, a draft proposal is ready but it will take some time to acquire the land fully. The process on acquisition of other two lands i.e. Custodian Land and State Land is yet to be started."
On objections, if any, received from private land holders, mostly Gujjar families, after issuance of orders for acquisition of land under Section 4 (1) of the Land Acquisition Act, Nanda said, "Objections were normal including issues of utility shifting, providing of alternate lands to the locals. After we assured them relocation at other places, these issues were sorted out amicably."
On being questioned about the delay in acquisition of lands, she said, "Since it is March and government and machinery is busy. I think the process would be expedited by April this year."