SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said she had spoken to Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and urged him to accelerate work on the AIIMS Awantipora project to ensure its completion without further delay.
Spoke with Union Health Minister JP Nadda ji & requested him to expedite the ongoing work at AIIMS Awantipora so that it doesn’t get delayed any further. He was kind enough to assure me about its completion well on time.
Undoubtedly the team assigned here is toiling day &…
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) June 6, 2026
In a post on X, Mufti said the Union Minister assured her that the prestigious healthcare institution would be completed within the stipulated timeframe. She said she had impressed upon him the need to expedite the ongoing construction work so that the facility could become operational at the earliest.
The PDP president said that while the project team was working tirelessly, the deteriorating healthcare situation across Jammu and Kashmir underscored the urgency of completing the institution. According to her, the early operationalisation of AIIMS Awantipora would provide significant relief to patients and enhance access to quality healthcare services in the region.
The remarks came two days after Mufti visited the AIIMS Awantipora site along with Tral MLA Rafiq Ahmad Naik and Pulwama MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra to assess the progress of the project and interact with officials overseeing its construction.
During the visit, the PDP delegation reviewed the status of infrastructure development, construction progress and the expected timeline for completion.
The visit drew criticism from the ruling government, with Education Minister Sakina Itoo questioning the authority under which former rulers were reviewing the project. She accused opposition leaders of attempting to take credit for a project whose progress, she said, was being ensured by the present administration led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Itoo had maintained that the AIIMS project was moving steadily towards completion under the current government’s supervision and monitoring, while also alleging that the institution had faced delays during previous administrations.
The exchange comes amid continuing political debate over AIIMS Awantipora, a major healthcare project expected to significantly strengthen tertiary medical care facilities in Kashmir once completed.
