Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) Amid slogans demanding the prime minister’s resignation over coal block allocations, the Lok Sabha Thursday passed a bill to set up more AIIMS-like institutes in states.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Amendment) Bill, 2012, replaces an ordinance which allowed the six AIIMS-like institutes to become operational from Sep 15.

The bill also gives the central government authority to establish more AIIMS-like institutes.

The six institutes were approved for Patna in Bihar, Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, Bhubaneswar in Odisha, Jodhpur in Rajasthan and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which has been stalling parliament over the coal block allocations issue for then past one week, said it was also in favour of passing the bill.

“It is an important bill to set up AIIMS-like institutes. We are also in favour of passing the bill,” NDA convener Sharad Yadav said.

The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for approval.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences Act, 1956, was legislated for establishment of AIIMS in New Delhi.

Then, six AIIMS-like institutions were finalised after the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, a central health scheme, was announced in 2003.

The six institutes were to be set up under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, broadly similar to the existing AIIMS.

However, without passing the bill, the institutes set up under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, would not have the authority to impart medical education and grant degrees or diplomas in medical education.

In order to make them operational for medical education, the bill was needed and was passed Thursday.