Sundargarh: The demand for setting up the state’s second AIIMS unit in this district grew louder with the Sundargarh Citizens’ Forum demanding the NTPC Hospital be upgraded as the second AIIMS.
Sundargarh Citizens’ Forum held a meeting at the Dak Bungalow office of the Works department Thursday where its president Ashok Kumar Das was present. He said the central government should upgrade the NTPC hospital as the second AIIMS in Odisha and make it operational as soon as possible.
In the meeting, the members requested Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to intervene in this issue as the Odisha government has already submitted a proposal to the central government to set up the state’s second AIIMS in Sundargarh district. They also requested the Odisha Legislative Assembly to pass a resolution to this effect in the next session.
The committee urged all political parties, intellectuals, daily wagers, youth and social organisations to come forward and push the demand. It said that the in the coming days it will work together with different organisations to build a huge consensus for the second AIIMS.
At the same time, the committee also demanded Central University status to Sundargarh Government College. The committee’s other demands included a railway line from Jharsugudda to Sundargarh via Ambikapur and early completion of construction work on ‘Bijuli Bandh’, a water body in Sundargarh town. Money from District Mineral Foundation (DMF) is being spent on it. A close inspection of the ongoing construction work will make one doubtful if the DMF money is being utilised properly.
Among others, district congress committee president Benumadhab Tripathy, ex-president of District Lawyers’ Association Kamal Sen, Citizen Committee’s working presidents Siddhant Kumar Panda and Biranchi Narayan Tripathy, vice-president Harajendra Singh, ex-municipality chairman Sumant Kumar Panda were present in the meeting.
PNN
