Thrissur: Union Minister Suresh Gopi has said that Alappuzha is the most suitable location to establish the AIIMS. He was speaking at a friendly development dialogue near Pullu in Thrissur. He added that he had been pursuing this project since 2016 and already had a clear master plan in mind.

The minister said he has been in regular discussions with Union Minister J P Nadda about the matter. However, the state government has taken a rigid stance, refusing to allocate land in Alappuzha. If that continues, he warned, he would demand that AIIMS be set up in Thrissur. He also claimed there were objections to that as well, though Union Home Minister Amit Shah was exploring alternative options. “If they try to trouble us, we know how to retaliate,” Suresh Gopi said.

He further said that the only offer from the state was land in Thiruvananthapuram. “If they don’t provide it where we ask, I will call Stalin and suggest setting it up there,” he added.