SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad Oct 25: A fresh row has erupted between the BJP and the Congress over credit for the construction of All Indian Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) and airport in Deoghar district.
Mannam Sanjay, the president of the Congress’s Deoghar district unit, has stated that AIIMS Deoghar is a contribution of the Congress-led UPA government and that the BJP government bears no responsibility for its development.
“Former Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, had decided to open AIIMS in all states to lessen loads of patients at New Delhi’s All Indian Institute Medical Science and so that the people could get better health service in their own state. Deoghar AIIMS opened under the same policy but due to BJP led Jharkhand state government’s indifferent attitude in the land acquisition, construction of the project got delayed,” he added.
He sought the resignation of BJP Godda MP Nishikant Dubey for claiming credit for bringing AIIMS and airport to Deoghar.
The Congress president was reacting to the statement of Godda MP Nishikant Dubey, who during a live show of a TV channel yesterday, claimed that the Congress has no contribution in setting up AIIMS and airport at Deoghar.
The firebrand MP had said that he would resign from parliament and retire from politics if Congress would show any effort in bringing both the mega projects in Deoghar. The Godda MP charged that the Congress did nothing but tried taking political mileage out of both the mega projects. “People of Deoghar, as well as the entire Jharkhand, know who is doing what for the district and the state,” said Dubey.
Mannam Sanjay alleged that the Godda MP wanted to set up AIIMS in Dumka instead of Deoghar. He had even written a letter to the then Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in this regard. But he rejected his demand saying that the central government had no proposal of AIIMS at Dumka in Jharkhand.
Sanjay also alleged that Nishikant Dubey has constructed an approach road of Deoghar airport by acquiring land of people illegally.
