The agitation demanding All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for Raichur entered 803 days in Raichur on Tuesday when Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget for 2024-25. The agitating activists and leaders were upset as there was no mention of the establishment of AIIMS in Raichur in the Budget.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had, in January this year, written to the Union government demanding the AIIMS for Raichur. He, along with Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Home Minister G. Parameshwar and Social Welfare Minister H.C. Mahadevappa, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 29, 2024, and demanded the announcement of the premier health institution for Raichur in the Union Budget 2024-25. Despite the prolonged struggles in Raichur and the political pressures from Bengaluru, the Union Government denied the AIIMS to Raichur.
Second disappointment
The civil society organisations in Raichur, cutting across political and ideological affiliations, had unsuccessfully agitated for years, demanding the establishment of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), which was later sanctioned to Hubballi-Dharwad. They then took up the demand for the establishment of AIIMS in Raichur.
“Despite years of prolonged agitation, Raichur was deprived of IIT even though it met all eligibility conditions. The premier technological institute was sanctioned to Hubballi-Dharwad simply because of political pressure. After that, we launched an indefinite agitation demanding AIIMS for Raichur. The agitation completed 803 days on Tuesday when Ms. Sitharaman presented her Budget for 2024-25. We were expecting her to announce the establishment of AIIMS in Raichur, one of the inspirational districts, in her budget speech. But she did not,” Basavaraj Kalasa, the convenor of the Committee for AIIMS in Raichur, told The Hindu.
Agitation to continue
Asserting Raichur’s right to have AIIMS, Mr. Kalasa declared that the agitation for the premier health institution for Raichur would continue and intensify till the demand is met.
“People of Kalyana Karnataka and all the people’s representatives, from across the political parties from the region, are unanimous on the demand for the establishment of AIIMS in Raichur. The people’s representatives and the civil society organisations from the region will launch an indefinite agitation at Jantar Manta in New Delhi on August 6,” Mr. Kalasa said.
