The Bengal government will propose an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raiganj and plans to establish a full-fledged cancer hospital in Jalpaiguri, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Thursday, outlining a significant expansion of healthcare infrastructure in north Bengal.
Adhikari made the announcement at a public event in Raiganj in Uttar Dinajpur district after an administrative review meeting. He said the proposed AIIMS would be located in the Diknagar area of Raiganj.
“The Bengal government has decided to send a proposal to the Centre for setting up an AIIMS at Diknagar in Raiganj,” Adhikari said, according to a report by PTI published by Telegraph India – West Bengal.
The proposal would require consideration by the Centre before an AIIMS project could be taken forward. The announcement, as reported, does not specify the proposed institution’s land area, estimated cost, project timeline, planned medical capacity or the next date for submitting the proposal.
The chief minister also announced plans for a full-fledged cancer hospital in Jalpaiguri. The facility was described as part of the state’s broader effort to expand healthcare infrastructure in north Bengal, but details about its location, funding, construction schedule, bed strength and operational model were not provided in the available report.
North Bengal’s healthcare infrastructure serves residents across several districts, making the location and capacity of major public hospitals important for access to specialised treatment. An AIIMS-level institution and a dedicated cancer hospital would represent different components of the regional healthcare network: the proposed institute would be a broad tertiary-care facility, while the Jalpaiguri project would focus on cancer treatment. The announcement does not establish whether the two projects will share facilities, staffing or referral arrangements.
An AIIMS is already operational in Kalyani in Nadia district, according to the report. The proposed Raiganj institution would therefore be an additional AIIMS project in Bengal, with its stated location in the northern part of the state.
The announcement also has a political context. Setting up an AIIMS in north Bengal was one of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s promises for the state Assembly elections. The government’s proposed submission to the Centre is the first formal step described in the report towards pursuing the Raiganj project.
The next stage will be the submission and consideration of the state government’s proposal for an AIIMS at Diknagar. Further details on the Jalpaiguri cancer hospital and the Raiganj institute will depend on subsequent government announcements, including project approvals, land arrangements, funding and implementation timelines.
