HC directs Centre to decide on TN AIIMS location by Dec 31

The Madras High Court today directed the central government to decide before December 31 the site for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to be set up in Tamil Nadu.
A bench of justices K K Sasidharan and G R Swaminathan gave the direction during the hearing of PILs on the matter.
Earlier, the Centre's advocate said a committee formed to inspect and decide the site would file its final report shortly.
Initially, when the matter came up this morning, the judges asked the government counsel to get information as to when the announcement regarding the site would be made and adjourned the hearing till noon.

During the resumed hearing, the judges gave the deadline of December 31 and said the government should announce the location by that date.
Petitioner K K Ramesh had sought a direction to the Centre to announce the district where the institute would be set up.

Another PIL litigant R K Baskar wanted the AIIMS to be set up in Madurai itself.
In the previous hearings, the counsel for the centre had said it was for the union government to finalise the location.
When the judges referred to the counter affidavit which said it was for the state government to decide, the central government pleader had sought time.

The counter had said it was up to the state government to identify and offer suitable location as per the specification of the 'Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana' rules for establishing AIIMS.