The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda is set to finally become a reality with the union health ministry giving the go ahead for issuance of tender for start of work on the campus building, paving the way for start of diagnostics in April 2019 and start of medical session from July, 2019.This was informed during a meeting between Union health and family welfare minister J P Nadda and food processing industry minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal yesterday evening. The meeting also reviewed the entire project and finalized time lines for completion of various works for the 750 bed Rs 925 crore project.Expressing satisfaction that a long cherished dream was finally going to take shape, Mrs Harsimrat Badal said it had been decided that contract for construction of campus building would be awarded in May, 2018 and that the health ministry was in the process of calling for tenders for the same. She said construction work on the prestigious project would commence in June this year and would be completed by 2020.Mrs Badal said the health ministry was committed to moving fast on the project and Shri J P Nadda had assured her that the tender for selecting the contractor for the project would be issued this week itself. “I thank Mr Nadda for the push he has given to this project”.She said the health ministry officials also gave a detailed presentation of the construction work done at the AIIMS project site in Bathinda. She said the campus design as well as the building maps had been finalized. “Environmental clearance has also been obtained”.Mrs Badal said as far as ongoing civil works at the AIIMS site were concerned, the boundary wall had been completed. She said the irrigation channel criss crossing the site had been shifted out. “The shifting of the water tank in the site is yet to be done but the health ministry officials have assured me that this will be done expeditiously”.Stating that the ball had been set rolling for start of the campus building after losing considerable time in getting all needed clearances from the State government, Mrs Badal said “I again extend my heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for giving this prestigious project to the Malwa region which is in dire need of quality indoor healthcare”.