The three-level underground parking, foundation stone of which was laid
down in October 2011 and constructed in August 2012, was inaugurated on
Monday by Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Constructed with the stipulated project cost of Rs 53.57 crore, the
parking has a total covered area of 21742 square meters and capacity to
park 434 four wheelers.

Inaugurating the parking lot, Azad said
construction work on the project was started in November 2011 and was
completed in August 2012, around three months ahead of its schedule
time.

“However, the facility could not be put into use pending
clearance from various government agencies. We have immediately made it
operational after getting required clearances”, Azad said, adding
clearance for such projects should be but on fast rack.

The AIIMS administration said, “Final statutory approval by New Delhi Municipal Corporation was granted on May 5 this year.”

The multi-level parking would help decongestion of the AIIMS premises
where, according to the recent traffic survey, approximately 14000
vehicle including 5000 cars enters everyday.

“As of now, AIIMS
has parking capacity of less than 1000 cars, nearly 2/3rd of which is
used to park vehicles of AIIMS faculty and staff members. The facility
would help decongestion of the campus”, the minister said, adding AIIMS
would need facilities to park over 10,000 vehicles in coming years as
large number of new units will come up in the institute under its
ongoing expansion plan.

Stating that provisions in the existing
Master Plan have already been exploited to develop new centers in the
AIIMS, Azad emphasised on the need to rapidly develop new Master Plan
for the institute.

He informed the audience that the new plan
has already been cleared by the NDMC and would be sent to Delhi Urban
Art Commission for further clearance.

Asked about the six
AIIMS-like institutes, Azad said MBBS courses have already been
commenced in the institutes and first phase of the treatment facilities
would be operational by August.

“Super-speciality facilities would start functioning by December this year”, he said.