The Faculty Association of AIIMS (FAIIMS) has sought the Union Health Minister's intervention to increase the number of type V and VI accommodations in the West Campus of the premier medical institute where residences for staff and resident doctors will be built.
AIIMS and National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) tomorrow for construction of 3,000 flats and houses for the staff and resident doctors of the premier institute on over 65 acres of land in Ansari Nagar, at an estimated cost of Rs 5,828 crore.
"As per the plan shared by AIIMS administration we are shocked to note the majority (nearly 70 per cent) of the new units being constructed are Type IV units, which are one level below the entitlement even for entry level faculty members.
"FAIIMS has on several occasions made representation to AIIMS administration to provide accommodation as per entitlement. But we are dismayed by the apathy shown by AIIMS administration and no appropriate revisions were made in the current proposal," FAIIMS said in its letter to Union Health Minister J P Nadda.
After its general body meeting on January 11 FAIIMS had requested the health ministry to intervene and instruct AIIMS administration to construct only type V and VI accommodation for members of the faculty, as per entitlement.
It also urged the health minister to reconsider decision to monetise AIIMS' land to generate finances for redevelopment of Ansari Nagar, West Campus for the accommodation.
As per the MoU, around 2.9 acres out 29 acres of institutional land would be given to NBCC for construction.
NBCC would charge 10 per cent of the final project cost as project management consultancy fee and 1 per cent for the marketing expenses on total fund realisation from the sale/lease of built up area, NBCC had said in a regulatory filing.
During the general body meeting, several faculty members pointed out that the cost of the 10 per cent land was more than the total cost of the project.
"Members of FAIIMS strongly oppose the government's policy of selling 10 per cent institutional land for commercial use and expressed their emotion that as per AIIMS Act the accommodation for the faculty is a part of the institute," the minutes of the meeting says.
The Resident Doctors' Association of AIIMS also opposed the decision of selling 10 per cent of the land alloted to the institution for commercial purposes.
"We strongly oppose this MOU which is totally against the Constitution of AIIMS and is being imposed without proper consensus among the resident doctors, faculty members and research students," they said in a letter to the Prime Minister.
The resident doctors will hold a protest with black flags tomorrow to express their resentment over the issue and mark the MoU signing day as "Black Day". Indefinite strike will follow if their demands are not met.
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