Never said AIIMS will come to Thrissur, says Suresh Gopi

Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi has clarified that he never said the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) would be established in Thrissur. He made the remark while speaking at the launch of his new discussion series SG Coffee Time, aimed at exploring ideas for Thrissur’s development, here on Sunday.

“I never said AIIMS is coming to Thrissur. What I have always maintained is that AIIMS should be set up in Alappuzha — a district that has suffered setbacks due to decades of communism. My stand is not political or regional,” said the Minister. He added that people in Thrissur should pray for AIIMS to come to Alappuzha.

Mr. Gopi stressed that even before becoming an MP, he had supported the demand for AIIMS in Alappuzha and that he would never go back on his word.

He also clarified that he had never promised a metro rail service for Thrissur. “What I said was that once the metro line reaches Angamaly, it should extend as a sub-route through Paliyekkara and connect to Coimbatore,” he explained. The series was inaugurated in Thrissur on Sunday shortly after Mr. Gopi visited veteran Congress leader and former Speaker Therambil Ramakrishnan at his residence.