An association of faculty of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) today termed as "unfortunate" the government's move to "monetise" land to generate money for construction flats by NBCC and asked it to reconsider the decision citing severe land crunch.
The Faculty Association of AIIMS (FAIIMS) also demanded an increase in the number of type V and VI accommodations in the West Campus of the premier medical institute where residences for staff and resident doctors will be built by the NBCC.
The AIIMS and the NBCC Ltd had yesterday signed an MoU to construct 3,928 apartments in Ansari Nagar, West Campus for the staff of the country's premier institute on over 65 acres of land, at an estimated cost of Rs 4,441 crore.
In turn, about 2.9 acres out of 29 acres of institutional land would be given to NBCC for commercial use.
NBCC would be charging 10 per cent of the final project cost as project management consultancy (PMC) fee and 1 per cent for the marketing expenses on total fund realisation from the sale/lease of built up area.
"FAIIMS strongly oppose the rushed manner in which AIIMS administration is moving ahead with selling off valuable land assets of the institute. There has been acute shortage of accommodation for faculty, doctors and staff with only 10-20 per cent of them getting accommodation in AIIMS.
"The lack of accommodation near the place of work has been significantly hampering patient care services at AIIMS. In last two years, 12 faculty members have resigned from the institute due to poor working condition particularly lack of accommodation and office space," FAIIMS said in a statement.
However, citing lack of resources, the administration has taken a strange decision to sell 10 per cent of AIIMS land for commercial purpose to generate money for the construction of these houses, or so called policy of "Monetising" the land at AIIMS, it said.
Terming the move as "unfortunate and painful", FAIIMS stated that there was severe land crunch in the institute for essential healthcare services, with AIIMS recently acquiring 19 acres land for its expansion in South Delhi and also developing seconding campus of AIIMS nearly 55 km away in Haryana.
The FAIIMS also have written to the Union Health minister J P Nadda and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.
Pointing to that the cost of 10 per cent land which is being sold to NBCC is higher than the total cost of the project, FAIIMS said, further most of the houses being constructed for faculty members are below their entitlement as per government of India/Institute rules, further increasing the dissatisfaction in among AIIMS faculty and staff.
"We appeal to the government to reconsider their decision to monetise AIIMS land and provide required funds to provide accommodation for doctors," the statement added.
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