Fencing work starts at AIIMS Jammu site

JAMMU: After lapse of almost three years, the ambitious project of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, (AIIMS), Jammu announced in 2015, finally saw light of the day with work on its boundary wall kick started around 1954 kanal land allotted for the purpose at Vijaypur in district Samba.

However, to douse the controversy erupted over rehabilitation of the some nomad families from land identified for the hospital, the district administration has allotted around 450 Kanals of land for 204 nomad families at nearby village Chak Devan Bhemsen in Vijaypur. "The fencing work for AIIMS has been started after the government allotted a large chunk of land measuring 450 kanal in village Chak Devan Bhemsen to rehabilitate the nomads who will be removed from the land," said Sanjeev Sharma, SDM Vijaypur.

Meanwhile, sources spelled that out of 450 kanal land allotted to 204 nomad families, 112 kanal land is allotted for road connectivity, 15 kanal land for pond, 9 kanal for school, 6 kanal for Masjid, 2 kanal for milk chilling plant and 306 plots for their residence (kullas).

The land was allotted after hue and cry was raised by the displaced nomads on the pretext that merely 10 marla plots were not sufficient for the relocated families.

To douse the ongoing controversy and to pave way to the construction of AIIMS in Jammu, the government on October 3, has sent Zafar Ali of the State Advisory Board for the Development of Gujjars and Bakerwals to representatives of 204 family to listen their grievances as they were presently being settled at the proposed site of AIIMS near Devika River by government itself during Kargil Conflict 1999.

After getting first hand appraisal of issues from aggrieved families, the Government representative suggested some remedial steps to vent out the pressure between the two sides.

"10 Marla plot and additional 54 kanals of land for cattle pasturing and rearing were earlier allocated to the 204 nomad families at village Tarapur in Vijaypur," sources said.

Pertinently, the Samba township witnessed tensions, after Prime Minister announced development package for Jammu & Kashmir on 7th November, 2015 which included creation of 2 AIIMS like institutions for health care in capital cities of J&K and the sites were chosen at Vijaypur in Samba district in Jammu region and at Awantipora, Pulwama in the Kashmir region.

However the nomad families residing on the land identified for AIIMS Jammu objected describing the move a bid to render them 'homeless.'

Later the situation further worsened when police was asked to vacate the land for AIIMS Jammu forcing the aggrieved families to come on road which hampered the progress of the mega health project in the region.


Updated On 7/11/2018 1:22:54 PM