Jammu: PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra on Wednesday raised concern over the delays in the completion of an AIIMS in the Kashmir Valley and flagged several issues related to healthcare infrastructure, private clinics’ registration and the reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir.
Participating in a discussion in the Assembly on grants for education, social welfare and health, Parra said these are sectors crucial for human development, which require urgent attention amid the growing demand and existing constraints.
“The completion of AIIMS Awantipora, which caters to the Pulwama-Challar belt, would significantly improve the overall healthcare sector in south Kashmir and Srinagar.
“Last year, the status of AIIMS Awantipora was 70 per cent and it remains the same even today. There has been considerable cost escalation.
“If the government personally monitors the project, it will bring significant changes in Pulwama and benefit the entire south Kashmir,” Parra said.
The PDP legislator also said that despite earlier assurances and meetings convened by the petition committee, the progress of the project appeared slow and required close monitoring.
He also reiterated the demand for MRI facilities at the district hospital in Pulwama, saying the hospital witnesses heavy patient footfall amid staff shortages.
Parra also demanded the establishment of a community health centre (CHC) in the Khan Medical Block under centrally-sponsored schemes, urging the government to take up the matter with the Union government.
He also said that permanent registration of more than 3,000 private clinics in Jammu and Kashmir has been pending for the past two years.
“Earlier, private clinics used to receive annual registrations, but permanent registration is necessary as these are already supporting the healthcare system where government facilities are inadequate,” he said.
Parra also flagged issues related to the reservation policy, claiming that the current system created an imbalance in opportunities.
“Sixty per cent of the population is getting 40 per cent of the opportunities, while 40 per cent of the population is getting 60 per cent of the opportunities. This imbalance affects education, employment and future prospects,” he claimed.
The PDP MLA also urged the J-K government to keep two orders (SRO 305 and SRO 176), which implement the new reservation policy, in abeyance till the Cabinet committee report is finalised and issues related to caste census and related metrics are resolved.
Keeping the order in social welfare in abeyance temporarily would help address public anxiety and restore balance in opportunities, Parra said.
