Official AIIMS records do not currently list Sambalpur among the approved institutes; questions remain over the status of the long-pending proposal
GTNS
SEPTEMBER 26, 2026 , BHUBANESWAR: The long-pending proposal for a second All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Sambalpur has entered a fresh phase of uncertainty after a letter reportedly written by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi surfaced, with the communication indicating that an AIIMS is not being proposed for Sambalpur under the present arrangement.
The development has triggered questions over the status of a project that had earlier been publicly discussed by the Odisha Government and supported by senior BJP leaders from the State.
The reported letter has assumed significance because the Sambalpur AIIMS proposal was presented earlier as an important component of efforts to strengthen advanced healthcare facilities in western Odisha.
From Proposal to Fresh Uncertainty
The idea of establishing another AIIMS in Odisha is not new. In June 2024, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi met J.P. Nadda and discussed both the expansion of AIIMS Bhubaneswar and the proposal for another AIIMS at Sambalpur. The Paschim Odisha Youth Action Committee has now emerged as another voice seeking a clear public position on the Sambalpur AIIMS proposal.The committee has argued that people in western Odisha need a definitive answer on whether the proposed institute has received approval, remains under consideration, or has been set aside.
A few months later, during a programme in Sambalpur, Majhi publicly stated that the State’s second AIIMS would come up in Sambalpur and said the State Government had already placed the demand before the Centre.
The group is also expected to press for transparency regarding the proposal’s administrative status, land requirement, approval process and the role of the Union and state governments.
Dharmendra Pradhan’s position
Former Union Minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan has previously spoken publicly about development and healthcare initiatives in the region. However, a fresh, specific public reaction from Pradhan concerning the reported Nadda communication on Sambalpur AIIMS has not been independently identified in the material reviewed for this report. The proposal subsequently became part of the political narrative surrounding development in western Odisha.
The Sambalpur AIIMS proposal also figured in the BJP’s broader argument about the advantages of coordination between the State and Central governments.
Dharmendra Pradhan, who represents Sambalpur in the Lok Sabha, had earlier spoken in support of the proposal. In 2024, he said the proposal put forward by the Mohan Majhi Government was receiving consideration at the Centre.
In February 2026, BJP spokesperson Ajay Alok also referred to the proposed AIIMS while highlighting development initiatives in Sambalpur and said the State Government would soon provide land for the project. The claims were subsequently questioned by BJD leader and former minister Rohit Pujari.
Dharmendra Pradhan Yet to React
The latest development has also put the spotlight on Dharmendra Pradhan, former Union Minister and Sambalpur MP, given his earlier association with the proposal.
As of the information available for this report, no fresh public reaction from Pradhan specifically responding to the reported Nadda letter or the reported position on Sambalpur AIIMS has been identified.
His response could assume significance because the project has repeatedly been discussed in connection with his constituency and with the BJP’s development narrative for western Odisha.
Opposition Likely to Question the Government
The reported communication is expected to give fresh ammunition to political opponents who have questioned whether the Sambalpur AIIMS proposal had received a formal commitment from the Centre.
The BJD has previously challenged claims surrounding the project. In February, former Rairakhol MLA Rohit Pujari questioned the basis of statements about the proposed institution and pointed to the absence of a specific AIIMS-Sambalpur reference in the Union Budget at that time.
The latest development therefore places the Odisha Government in a politically sensitive position: whether the State will continue pursuing the proposal, seek a clarification from the Centre, or explore an alternative arrangement for expanding tertiary healthcare facilities in western Odisha.
Why Sambalpur Matters
Sambalpur is an important healthcare and educational centre for western Odisha and serves populations from several adjoining districts. A major central medical institution in the region has long been discussed in the context of improving access to specialised healthcare outside Bhubaneswar.
The State already has AIIMS Bhubaneswar, while the proposal for another AIIMS at Sambalpur was intended to expand access to advanced medical care in western Odisha.
The reported Nadda letter has consequently shifted the discussion from an anticipated project to a question over its actual status.
A Test for the “Double-Engine” Narrative
The development also raises a wider political question for Odisha. The BJP governments at the Centre and in the State have repeatedly highlighted coordination between the two levels of government as a mechanism for accelerating development projects.
If the reported communication indeed rules out an AIIMS at Sambalpur, political parties are likely to debate what that means for earlier public assurances and commitments.
For now, the key issue remains the official status of the Sambalpur AIIMS proposal. A clear public statement from the Odisha Government and a direct response from the Sambalpur MP would help establish whether the project has been formally rejected, deferred, modified or replaced by another healthcare proposal.
The controversy has therefore reopened a long-standing question in western Odisha: will Sambalpur receive a second AIIMS, or will the region have to look to a different model for expanding tertiary healthcare?
GTNS
SEPTEMBER 26, 2026