Just days ahead of polls in Himachal, Modi inaugurates AIIMS Bilaspur

Bilaspur, Oct 5 (IANS) Just days ahead of the assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated AIIMS Bilaspur, whose foundation stone was laid by him on October 3, 2017.

Accompanying BJP President J.P. Nadda, who belongs to Bilaspur, Union minister Anurag Thakur, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, among others, will later reach Luhnu ground in Bilaspur, some 130 km from the state capital, to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects and also address a public function.

Later, the Prime Minister will reach the Dhalpur Ground of Kullu, where he will participate in Kullu Dussehra celebrations.

The Prime Minister's vision and commitment to strengthen health services across the country is being showcased again through the inauguration of AIIMS Bilaspur.

The hospital is being established under the Central sector scheme Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana.

AIIMS Bilaspur, constructed at a cost of more than Rs 1,470 crore, is a state-of-the-art hospital with 18 specialty and 17 super specialty departments, 18 modular operation theatres, 750 beds with 64 ICU beds.

Spread over 247 acres, the hospital is equipped with 24 hours emergency and dialysis facilities, modern diagnostic machines like ultrasonography, CT scan, MRI, etc., Amrit Pharmacy and Jan Aushadhi centres and also a 30-bed AYUSH block.

The hospital has also set up the Centre for Digital Health to provide health services in the tribal and inaccessible tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh.

Also, specialist health services will be provided by the hospital through health camps in the inaccessible tribal and high Himalayan regions like Kaza, Saluni, and Keylong.

The hospital will admit 100 students for MBBS course and 60 students for nursing courses every year.

Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Nadda reached Bilaspur on October 2 to oversee the arrangements relating to Modi's visit to inaugurate AIIMS at Kothipura and later his address with a gathering of estimated one lakh people that is aiming to set the stage to build momentum for the upcoming assembly polls.

An official statement said Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 3,650 crore.

The foundation stone of 31-km-long project for four laning of the National Highway from Pinjore to Nalagarh on NH-105 worth over Rs 1690 crore will be laid.

The project road is a major connecting link for the traffic from Ambala, Chandigarh, Panchkula and Solan and Shimla going towards Bilaspur, Mandi and Manali.

About 18-km stretch of the four-lane highway falls under Himachal Pradesh and the remaining portion falls in Haryana. This highway will ensure better transport facilities in Nalagarh-Baddi, the industrial hub of Himachal Pradesh, and will also give a fillip to further industrial development in the region. It will also boost tourism in the state.

The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of the Medical Device Park at Nalagarh, which will be built at a cost of about Rs 350 crore. MoUs of more than Rs 800 crore have already been signed for setting up industries in this Medical Device Park. The project will significantly enhance employment opportunities in the region.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Government Hydro Engineering College at Bandla. Costing Rs 140 crore, the college will help make available trained manpower for hydro power projects, in which Himachal Pradesh is one of the leading states.

It will help in upskilling the youth and providing ample job opportunities in the hydropower sector.

The BJP-ruled hill state is likely to go to the polls for its 68-member assembly in November.