Keen on AIIMS in Tamil Nadu in first phase, Jayalalithaa writes to PM

Chennai: Hailing the Centre's move to setup All India Institute of Medical Sciences in all states in a phased manner, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has requested

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to establish it in Tamil Nadu during the current financial year itself.

Thanking Modi for the initiative in a letter to him on June 18, she said her government had already identified land in five districts with "excellent" connectivity and sufficient water and electricity facilities.

Jayalalithaa said she was very keen that an institution of the stature of AIIMS be established in Tamil Nadu as it would augment the facilities for providing quality medical education to benefit the poor and middle classes.

"Tamil Nadu has a proud record of speedy implementation of such projects and hence I request you to kindly ensure that it is included in the list of states in which an AIIMS would be set up during the current financial year itself," she said.

Noting that the Union Health Ministry has written to the state government asking it to specify "three or four" locations for setting up of an AIIMS, Jayalalilthaa said it had identified land in Kancheepuram, Pudukottai,Thanjavur, Erode and in Madurai districts.

"Sufficient water and electricity are also available at all the five places, which also have excellent rail and air connectivity," she said, adding that she had directed the state officials to provide all the details required by the Centre.