Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approves AIIMS, airport for North Bihar

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday approved setting up of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Darbhanga in Bihar.
The Centre had earlier assured people of Bihar that flight operations from Darbhanga airport, which is nearing completion, will begin from next month.

JD(U) leader and Bihar’s water resources minister Sanjay Jha has been pushing for both these projects, which will benefit 22 districts of north Bihar. “It was the insistence of CM Nitish Kumar to have an AIIMS in Darbhanga,” Jha said in Patna. Elections are due in Bihar in October-November.

The 750-bed hospital will be built at a cost of Rs 1,264 crore and is likely to be completed within 48 months, an official statement said. The hospital, to be established under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), will have 15-20 super speciality departments and is expected to cater to around 2,000 OPD patients per day and around 1,000 IPD patients per month.

“Setting up of new AIIMS would not only transform health education and training but also address the shortfall of healthcare professionals in the region,” the statement said. “Setting up new AIIMS in the state will lead to employment generation for nearly 3,000 persons in various faculty and non-faculty posts. This will fill the gaps in tertiary healthcare infrastructure as well as facilities for quality medical education in the state and adjoining areas.”

Last week, civil aviation minister Hardeep Puri had visited Darbhanga and announced that flights will begin at the airport from early next month and work has been fast-tracked at the airport. This will enable people to fly straight to Darbhanga from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru for the Chhat Puja festival.