West Bengal’s proposal to locate an AIIMS at Raiganj is more than a new investment in healthcare infrastructure; it is a revival of a long-pending promise to north Bengal. The state government has identified about 180 acres at Diknagar for the Centre’s technical assessment. This proposal recalls a similar 2008 AIIMS plan stalled due to land acquisition issues and the institution’s eventual relocation to Kalyani.
The state’s Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal has formally requested the Union Health Ministry to examine the proposed site, emphasizing the institution’s potential to serve patients from north Bengal and neighboring regions, including parts of Bihar and the Northeast.
While the offer of land is a crucial step, the project is still at a preliminary stage. There is no approval for construction, no timeline, no technical or financial clearance yet. The initiative must clear administrative hurdles like site suitability assessment and securing Centre-state cooperation.
The announcement by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari highlighted parallel plans for a cancer hospital in Siliguri, indicating a broader regional healthcare development focus. However, the separate facilities have distinct scopes and must be evaluated individually.
Raiganj’s previous AIIMS proposal and its challenges illustrate why this fresh effort matters. The earlier plan’s failure due to acquisition delays underscores the importance of administrative follow-through. This time the offer is more substantial, with around 180 acres identified, but uncertainties about site readiness and institutional design persist.
The project sits within political commitments made by the BJP to improve regional healthcare infrastructure. If executed properly, it could address long-distance travel barriers for complex medical care and expand education and research capacity locally.
Overall, this proposal raises hopes but remains contingent upon Centre-led technical evaluation and approval, followed by detailed project planning and funding. The coming months will be decisive in transforming the long-standing regional demand into a functional AIIMS institution in north Bengal.
