Refuting the allegations of BJP leaders including Union Health and Family Welfare minister JP Nadda, the Himachal Pradesh government on Wednesday claimed it was the Centre government which is delaying the setting up of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

The state Health minister Kaul Singh Thakur said as the state BJP leaders were creating much hullabaloo over delay by the government in setting up AIIMS at Bilaspur, the government wants to clarify that it was Central government which is causing delay. “In view of the allegations, I want to clarify that the notification of AIIMS has not been issued by the Union Health Ministry till date,” Thakur said.

He said that the announcement was made only in the Budget speech of Union Finance minister Arun Jaitley who proposed establishing AIIMS like institution in HP and other four states.

“BJP is unnecessary airing rumours and misleading people in the name of AIIMS without ascertaining the facts that the government had identified and got transferred 681-09 bighas of land in name of Health department on 6 April, 2016 and informed the Union Health Ministry on 24 April, 2016 about the same,” he said.

He said that it was on request of JP Nadda, that the government traced the land in Kothipura in Bilaspur. The Cabinet in its meeting held 26 December 2014 gave its nod for establishing the premier health institution as per request of Union Health minister. “The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India (GoI) has not notified for establishing the institution till date,” he said adding the BJP leaders instead of asking Central government were playing cheap politics in name of AIIMS and misinforming the people of the state.

State Health minister said that Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had himself taken up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi thrice on dated 30 November 2015, 15 January 2016 and 5 February 2016 but no response had been received from the Centre so far.

“It was wrong to say that the HP government was delaying the setting up of AIIMS, rather all the formalities pertaining to identifying and transfer of land has been done by and now it was up to the user agency to take forest clearance,” he said.

He advised the BJP leaders to speak only after verifying the truth and not merely to issue statements just for sake of criticism.