Srinagar, Sept. 8 -- Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said the delay in the construction of AIIMS was primarily due to the location being selected on political grounds rather than based on its suitability for a hospital, resulting in security and logistical challenges.

Speaking to reporters as Per KNS in Pulwma, CM Omar said that the decision to build the AIIMS facility at the current site was made without assessing whether the area was appropriate for such a project. "This is not the fault of AIIMS. First of all, the site was decided on political grounds," he said.

He said that earlier the project faced security concerns from the army, which delayed the preparation of the detailed project report (DPR) by more than a year. "The DP...