Srinagar: Reacting to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's proposed medical schemes for Jammu and Kashmir in his 2015 Union Budget, former chief minister of the state Omar Abdullah on Saturday said that efforts should be made to raise the already established SKIMS to global standards.
Omar, who took to Twitter, wrote, “If Kashmir is to get the AIIMS rather than a greenfield project, I hope the money is pumped in to SKIMS (Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences) to raise it to global standards.”
If #Kashmir is to get the #AIIMS rather than a greenfield project I hope the money is pumped in to SKIMS to raise it to global standards.
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) February 28, 2015
He further added, “Bricks and mortar don't make AIIMS and IIMs. In fact quite the opposite, they dilute the brand equity of the original institution.”
Bricks & mortar don't make AIIMS & IIMs. In fact quite the opposite, they dilute the brand equity of the original institution #Budget2015
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) February 28, 2015
Jaitley today announced that his government would set up institutes on the lines of AIIMS or the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in five states, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Assam.
Indian Institutes of Technology or IIT will be set up in Karnataka and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) will be set up in Jammu and Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh.
Furthermore, taking a jibe at allocation of funds for MNREGA scheme, Omar said, “ I don't get it, if MNREGA is a monument to failure why is more money being pumped in to it? Something doesn't add up here.”
I don't get it, if #MNREGA is a monument to failure why is more money being pumped in to it? Something doesn't add up here. #Budegt2015
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) February 28, 2015
