AIIMS Darbhanga construction controversy: Yadav-Mandaviya in Twitter spat
Bihar's deputy CM and union health minister spar over Darbhanga AIIMS saga
On a recent day, a heated exchange unfolded on the social media platform, X, between Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union health minister and Tejashwi Yadav, the deputy chief minister for Bihar. The digital altercation centred around the controversy surrounding the construction of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Darbhanga.
Yadav fired the initial salvo, accusing the prime minister of falsely claiming credit for establishing the Darbhanga AIIMS. “Today, the prime minister was taking false credit for opening the AIIMS in Darbhanga. The truth of the matter is that it was the Bihar government that freely allocated a generous 151 acres of land to the Centre and also provided an additional ₹250 crore for land filling,” Yadav charged. He further alleged that political motivations were responsible for the Centre failing to give construction approval for the AIIMS facility.
“I have made numerous efforts to kickstart this project, including contacting the Union health minister in June and imploring him to approve the construction. I even penned a letter to him, but all my attempts have been in vain as no affirmative action has been taken,” the Bihar deputy chief minister wrote with visible chagrin.
प्रिय तेजस्वी जी,
मोदी सरकार विकास में राजनीति नहीं करती बल्कि विकास की राजनीति करती है।
हमारी नीयत साफ़ है।
एम्स दरभंगा की अनुमति मोदी सरकार ने 19 सितंबर 2020 को दी थी और बिहार सरकार ने 3 नवंबर 2021 को पहली ज़मीन दी। https://t.co/ESOxhfeDp6 pic.twitter.com/kH0PiucDml
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) August 12, 2023
However, the Union health minister was quick to counter Yadav’s accusations. Mandaviya defended the central government’s stance, asserting that they believed in “politics of development” rather than playing political games.
“Tejashwi Ji, the Modi government does not indulge in politics over development. Instead, we embrace the politics of development. Our intentions are transparent,” Mandaviya retorted. He clarified that the Centre had given its nod for the construction of AIIMS Darbhanga on September 19, 2020, and it was the Bihar government that allocated the land only in November 2021.
The health minister went on to reveal that there had been underhand dealings when Yadav came to power leading to underhand dealings. That the original land agreed upon was exchanged for a new plot on April 30, 2023.
As he indicated in his social media post, an expert committee was dispatched to appraise the new plot as per prevailing laws. However, on May 26, the Centre notified the Bihar government in a letter that the newly allocated plot was unsuitable for construction.
Mandaviya questioned why the plot was switched and whom it served to benefit. Adding weight to his words, he attached a screenshot of a letter signed by health secretary Rajesh Bhushan pointing out the “potential disadvantages” of the chosen site, stating that these would make the project’s execution more complicated.
The letter explicitly urged the Bihar government to supply alternative land apt for the creation of the AIIMS. Undeterred, Minister Mandaviya continued his online riposte by challenging Yadav’s political acumen.
“During a session in the Bihar assembly, what was your MLA’s stance on the land’s suitability? It is high time for you to rise above politics and allocate suitable land for building AIIMS. Rest assured that we are more than ready to construct the AIIMS in Bihar,” the Union health minister concluded.
