'Don't know what Suresh Gopi intended, AIIMS should be established in Thiruvananthapuram'; differences emerge in Kerala BJP

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP Thiruvananthapuram city district president Karamana Jayan has rejected Union Minister Suresh Gopi's demand that AIIMS should be set up in Alappuzha. Jayan said he does not know why Suresh Gopi said that AIIMS should be set up in Alappuzha. Speaking to a private channel, he said that AIIMS should be established in Thiruvananthapuram so that it would benefit both Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

"The most suitable site to set up AIIMS is Nettukalthara in Kallikkad panchayat, Thiruvananthapuram. Over 250 acres of land is available there. No other such suitable land is available in Kerala. In 2015, the then state government had appointed an expert team to study this site, and a detailed report was submitted," Jayan said.

“Thiruvananthapuram is the state capital and already has a strong medical hub, including the Sree Chitra Medical Centre, Rajiv Gandhi Biotechnology Centre, and RCC. An AIIMS here will serve both Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In the 2021 assembly elections, bringing AIIMS to the Parassala constituency was a major demand. People want it in the capital,” he said.

He added that he has not yet discussed the matter with the state BJP leadership or the party president but believes that Thiruvananthapuram’s needs will not be ignored.

Earlier, Suresh Gopi had said that the central government has given full support for AIIMS in Kerala and that it should be set up in Alappuzha. He said that compared to other districts, Alappuzha lags behind in development, and it is our duty to bring the district forward. “If we look at 13 districts, Alappuzha is even behind Idukki. The district is facing severe hardships. That is why setting up AIIMS in Alappuzha is essential for the region’s development,” he said.