Madras High Court Dismisses PIL Seeking Immediate Opening of AIIMS Madurai

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition that sought a direction to the Central government to immediately open the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Thoppur in Madurai and make it available for public use.

A Division Bench of Justices C.V. Karthikeyan and R. Sakthivel dismissed the PIL filed by K.K. Ramesh of Madurai. The petitioner had also sought punishment and costs against government officials who, he claimed, filed false counter-affidavits and reports.

The court observed that the petitioner had a habit of approaching the court repeatedly seeking the same relief. This was not the first petition he had filed on the same issue. Earlier petitions filed by him had already been disposed of, the court noted.

“It has to be understood by the petitioner that the construction of an institute of the scale of the AIIMS requires administrative sanctions at each and every stage. Necessary funds have to be allotted and approvals have to be granted,” the court said.

The court emphasised that this is a long process and cannot be completed at the whims and fancies or within the timeline stipulated by the petitioner. Hence, the court declined to issue any directions and dismissed the petition.