In January 2024, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, seeking the establishment of an AIIMS in Raichur. The underdeveloped Kalyana Karnataka region, where Raichur is located, continues to suffer from some of the worst health indicators in the state. Many have labelled Union Health Minister JP Nadda’s recent response to Siddaramaiah as a diplomatic no, disguised as an “in-principle” approval.
Published Jan 29, 2025 | 5:26 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 29, 2025 | 5:26 PM
JP Nadda & Dinesh Gundu Rao
Karnataka’s demand for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raichur, a plea that has echoed for years, has hit yet another bureaucratic roadblock.
The Union Health Minister, JP Nadda’s recent letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, responding to a request for AIIMS’ setup, has left many questioning the central government’s intent, with critics labelling the response as a diplomatic no, dressed as an “in-principle” approval.
The letter, posted on social media by Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, does not outline a concrete commitment to establishing an AIIMS in Raichur, leaving the state government and the people of the region disappointed yet again. For a district with severe healthcare deficits, this delay feels like a denial.
“Our demand for #AIIMS in Raichur is not answered at all. Twenty-two states have got approval for AIIMS, but our long-standing demand gets no response.
“The minister mentions using NHM and PM-ABHIM funds, which is simply not possible as they are already allotted for existing requirements. Everyone knows AIIMS needs a dedicated budget, and our government is willing to support it in every way possible. What the Union government has done is cleverly and indirectly tell us that we’re being denied AIIMS. Injustice for Karnataka under the Modi regime continues,” Rao wrote in a post on X.
I do not understand what this written by our Union Health Minister Shri @JPNadda wants to convey.
Our demand for #AIIMS in Raichur is not answered at all.
22 states have got approval for AIIMS but our long standing demand gets no response.
The minister mentions using NHM and… pic.twitter.com/uA4DiuVFXd
— Dinesh Gundu Rao/ದಿನೇಶ್ ಗುಂಡೂರಾವ್ (@dineshgrao) January 29, 2025
Raichur, part of the underdeveloped Kalyana Karnataka region, continues to suffer from some of the worst health indicators in the state. The region has high maternal and infant mortality rates, widespread malnutrition, and a lack of tertiary care facilities. Residents often travel hundreds of kilometres to Hyderabad for advanced medical treatment. An AIIMS in Raichur would provide world-class healthcare and bring much-needed relief to the region.
“This is not just about Raichur,” said public health experts. “It’s about addressing decades of systemic neglect in northern Karnataka.”
In January 2024, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written to Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, seeking the establishment of AIIMS in Raichur. The letter included a proposal to set up AIIMS in Raichur in the Central Budget 2024-25.
The Chief Minister had also mentioned that Raichur is an aspirational district within the Kalyana Karnataka region, where healthcare, education, and per capita income levels are still sub-par compared to other regions of the state, and had pressed for urgency in establishing a high-quality referral medical centre there.
A delegation led by N. S. Boseraju, Minor Irrigation Minister and a native of Raichur, had also taken a delegation from the region to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding budgetary allocations for the establishment of AIIMS in Raichur.
However, Nadda’s response, dated 14 January 2025, mentions that the Government of India plans to establish AIIMS in different parts of the country under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) in a phased manner. While he states that “in-principle” approval has been sought for an AIIMS in Karnataka, he ties the proposal’s feasibility to the “overall financial umbrella” of existing schemes like the National Health Mission (NHM).
“The phrase ‘in-principle approval’ means nothing without a timeline or budget,” said Dinesh Gundu Rao. “This is a clear attempt to sideline Karnataka’s needs by making vague promises and linking them to funds that are already allocated for other purposes.”
The letter further points to the upgradation of three government medical colleges in Karnataka—Bangalore Medical College, Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (Ballari), and Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (Hubballi)—under PMSSY as evidence of the Centre’s efforts to improve healthcare in the state.
However, health department officials from Karnataka argue that these upgrades do not address the specific and dire healthcare needs of Raichur.
“Upgrading existing colleges is not the same as establishing a world-class institution like AIIMS,” said a senior health official from Karnataka. “Raichur needs an AIIMS to bring advanced healthcare to the underserved northern region.”
Nadda’s letter highlights that ₹4,648.63 crore has been provided to Karnataka under NHM from FY 2021-22 to FY 2024-25, along with ₹194.80 crore under PM-ABHIM for the same period. It also suggests that the state government could propose additional healthcare projects for Raichur under the State Programme Implementation Plan (PIP) within the NHM guidelines.
This suggestion has been met with strong opposition. “Everyone knows AIIMS requires a dedicated budget,” said Gundu Rao. “These funds are already tied to existing projects and cannot be diverted for a new institution.”
The Union government’s response effectively places the onus on the state government to address Raichur’s healthcare needs using NHM and PMSSY funds. State leaders see this as an abdication of responsibility by the Centre.
“This letter is a cleverly worded denial,” said a state health department official. “Instead of providing a budget for AIIMS, the Centre is shifting the responsibility to Karnataka, knowing full well that existing funds are insufficient.”
As Karnataka’s leaders continue to push for AIIMS in Raichur, the letter has reignited concerns about political bias in the allocation of healthcare projects. With 22 states already approved for AIIMS, Karnataka’s exclusion is seen as unjustified.
“Our government is ready to provide all the support required for AIIMS,” said Gundu Rao. “The Centre’s refusal to act is yet another example of the injustice Karnataka faces under the current regime.”
Since 2004, 22 states have received approval for AIIMS under various phases of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). Karnataka’s exclusion has fuelled allegations of political bias.
“This is not just a matter of healthcare; it is about justice for Karnataka,” emphasised Dinesh Gundu Rao.
Interestingly, another southern state, Kerala, was also denied an AIIMS allocation. In an unstarred question, Jose K Mani of Kerala asked in the Rajya Sabha about the criteria considered by the Union government for establishing new AIIMS institutions and whether there were any plans to set up an AIIMS in Kerala.
In response, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Patel, stated:
“Under PMSSY, AIIMS are set up in different parts of the country in a phased manner, keeping in view the gaps in the availability of tertiary healthcare facilities.”
The letter further stated: “The Government of Kerala has identified and proposed four sites for the establishment of a new AIIMS in the state—Kinaloor in Kozhikode district, Kattakada taluk in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kottayam district, and Ernakulam district.”
However, the ministry clearly stated that the “proposal has not been approved in the current phase of PMSSY” without confirming whether it would be considered in future phases.
Similarly, in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai, where AIIMS was part of the BJP’s election manifesto, construction has been progressing so slowly that classes are still being conducted at Government Ramanathapuram Medical College (GRMC). Since 2022, three MBBS batches enrolled at AIIMS Madurai have been studying on GRMC’s campus, with the AIIMS infrastructure yet to be completed.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
