The medical education directorate in Chhattisgarh and state’s power company had locked horns over supplying electricity to the institute of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) coming up in the state capital.
The institute is coming up on a sprawling 200 acres of land in Tatibandh area with most modern facilities. The state government had provided the land for the AIIMS set-up in the state capital.
Sources said the public works department had completed a major part of construction project. After executing the remaining works including that of electricity, the department would formally hand over the building to AIIMS. The institute is likely to start next year.
But before the work is completed, state’s medical education directorate and power company had entered into a dispute over power supply for the institute. The power company wants to set up a power sub-station on the premises, while the directorate—the nodal agency for the project—had been opposing it.
“By setting up the power station, the power company wants to use our (AIIMS) land for supplying power to other agencies that will be opposed at all level,” a senior official with the directorate said.
The official explained that the power requirement for the AIIMS institute would be just 10 Megawatt (Mw) while the sub-station would have the capacity of supplying 100 Mw. The institute would have to bear the cost for setting up the power sub-station that would need about an acre of land.
“While the institute would bear the land and expenses cost, the power company would supply 90 per cent of power to other agencies as the institute would require just 10 per cent of power from the sub-station,” the official said.
The directorate wants that the power company should lay 33 KV power line to supply electricity to the prestigious AIIMS institute. But the power company is stressing for setting up 132 KV power station.
“We are trying to find an amicable solution to the problem and the issue will be taken up at the meeting with PWD and power company officials,” medical education director SL Adile said.
