Bengaluru, Jan 30 (IANS): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman to allocate AIIMS to Raichur city in the upcoming Union Budget 2024–25.

Raichur has witnessed a persistent 625-day-long Satyagraha led by various organisations and advocacy groups demanding AIIMS for the region.

Recognised as an ‘Aspiration District’ by the Central government, Raichur holds special significance under Article 371(J) of the Constitution.

The establishment of AIIMS in Raichur, a district grappling with backwardness, holds immense potential in bolstering healthcare infrastructure, generating employment opportunities, fostering medical education, and mitigating the challenges of underdevelopment.

The state government in previous correspondence, including letters dated June 17, 2023, and September 7, 2023 -- addressed to the Minister of Health and Family Welfare -- underscored the criticality of AIIMS for Raichur.

In these communications, the government has urged the Finance Minister to accord due consideration to this matter ahead of the 2024-25 Union Budget.

On January 25, Minister of Minor Irrigation, Science, and Technology, Irrigation N.S. Boseraju, formally petitioned the Chief Minister, seeking the establishment of AIIMS in Raichur.