Kollam (Kerala) | Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi on Wednesday said that an AIIMS was announced for Kerala in the 2016 Union Budget, and alleged that the state government did not take the requisite steps to take the initiative forward.
The Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism said that the Kerala government should have provided around four proposed sites for setting up the AIIMS and then the Centre would have taken a decision.
"That is how AIIMS was set up in Kashmir," he said at a press conference here on the benefits of the 2026-27 Union Budget.
On being asked about his stand on where AIIMS should be set up, Gopi said that since 2015, he had been wanting the premier medical facility to come up in Alappuzha, where basic infrastructure and health facilities were in a poor condition.
"But, if not in Alappuzha, then it should come in Thrissur which is centrally located, does not have development-related bottlenecks and has more breathing space," Gopi, the Thrissur Lok Sabha MP, said.
He also said that while he has assured AIIMS will come to Kerala, "did I say it will come in 2026."
Gopi said that if the state government starts the preparations now, then AIIMS might become a reality in 2027 or 2028.
"Once the government indicates the proposed sites, there will be no hurdle in establishing an AIIMS in Kerala," he asserted.
He also asked why such demands and questions were not raised during the time of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre when there were several ministers from Kerala.
During the press meet, Gopi also praised the Union Budget, saying that it has been prepared with a long-term vision of what the country should be like in 2047.
He said that due to the political criticism against the budget, the central government has instructed MPs to inform people in all districts of the country about the benefits of the budget.
Kollam(Kerala) | Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Wedn Feb 11 (PTI) esday appeared to back the TDB members at the time the older flag mast at Sabarimala was replaced with a new one, saying gold contributed by him and other devotees was scrupulously recorded by them.
Gopi's statement assumes relevance as the Kerala High Court on Monday ordered a probe into the alleged misappropriation of gold and money in connection with the installation of a new temple flag mast at the Sabarimala shrine in 2017.
The High Court, in its order, had said that receipts were not issued to many of those who had contributed gold for covering the flag mast and the ceremonial vehicle (vaji vahanam) on top of it.
In an apparent defence of the then Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) members, Gopi said the gold given by him and various devotees was "scrupulously recorded".
The minister said that it was all carried out in a very "religious atmosphere" in the presence of Congress leaders Prayar Gopalakrishnan as TDB president and Ajay Tharayil as a board member.
He also said that he did not ask for a receipt, as it was given as a donation to God.
Gopi said that the gold was then beaten into sheets there itself and handed over to him and other devotees who themselves placed it on the flag mast and ceremonial vehicle.
"A receipt may have been given, I do not recall. But, why is politics being involved in such contributions by devotees? Why are attempts being made to involve everyone based on politics?
"I cannot stand with attempts to harm them like this. Let the police and the courts investigate," the Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism asked, while speaking to reporters here at a press meet on the benefits of the Union Budget 2026-27.
Gopi said the decision to change the flag mast was taken due to a 'devaprasnam' and not because of some termite infestation as reported in some channels.
Devaprasnam is a traditional Kerala temple ritual used to divine the will of the deity and identify causes of problems and required remedies.
Gopi further said that the work was carried out in the presence of an advocate commissioner appointed by the Kerala High Court.
He said that he contributed gold for that as he wanted his future generations to be able to claim some connection with the temple and its flag mast.
He said that he got the gold coins he had converted to 24 carat and donated it to the temple.
"When others heard what I was doing, many of them, including Mohanlal, also contributed varying amounts of gold," he said.
