Kerala is keenly awaiting the Union Budget’s announcement on the State government’s recent proposal to set up an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Kinalur near Balussery in Kozhikode, as well as the long-pending demand to revive the National Institute for Research and Development in Defence Shipbuilding (Nirdesh) at Chaliyam near Beypore.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had sought in-principle approval from the Finance Ministry for setting up AIIMS. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had earlier written a letter to the Centre saying that around 200 acres of unused land with the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) had been made available for the project. Another 100 acres would also be acquired for the purpose.
In 2014, M.K. Raghavan, MP, had taken up the proposal to set up AIIMS at Kinalur Industrial Estate with the former Union Health Minister. Then the State government had identified locations in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Kalamassery in Ernakulam district.
Centre’s promise
The 11-year-old Nirdesh functioning directly under the Department of Defence Production on a 40-acre acquired land at Chaliyam has been in an uncertain state all these years.
Mazagon Dock Limited, Goa Shipyard Limited, Hindustan Shipyard Limited, and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited are providing funds to sustain the project.
The Centre had promised that a world-class ship designing institute would be established at a cost of ₹600 crore when former Defence Minister A.K. Antony laid the foundation stone for Nirdesh in January 2011.
Subsequently, a ₹200-crore revival package was mooted to resuscitate the ailing project. But nothing positive emerged out of the proposal. Later, when Nirmala Sitharaman was appointed as Defence Minister in 2017, many believed that the project would get a fresh lease of life.
Expectations were again high for Nirdesh when Ms. Sitharaman was appointed as the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs in 2019. Nirdesh failed to get mention in the previous Union Budgets of the second Narendra Modi government.
