Activists and service organisations from many southern districts have written to The Hindu about ‘the injustice meted out to Madurai’ and readers also conveyed their displeasure over telephone. When the former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was alive, she had recommended five places from the State including Thoppur in Madurai for establishing AIIMS. How can he ignore the plight of thousands of poor people from the southern districts?” were some of the questions raised by the public. Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry senior president S. Rethinavelu in a press release said that the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre should reconsider Madurai as the location best suited for setting up AIIMS. As Thanjavur was close to Chennai, it was easier for people to reach Chennai, while it was not the case for those in southern districts.

Source: The Hindu March 01, 2017 20:03 UTC