Dharamshala: The Himachal Assembly on Friday passed the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings (Amendment) Bill 2024, seeking to amend Section 5 of the Act, allowing the government to transfer land or structure for religious, spiritual or charitable purposes, subject to a maximum limit of 30 acres.
Heated exchanges marked the debate and the Speaker had to expunge some remarks the Bill was passed by voice vote and the demand of the BJP to send the Bill to the select committee was not accepted. Demanding that the Bill be referred to the select committee, the Leader of the opposition Jai Ram Thakur said that the government was giving a religious hue to the issue.
Intervening in the debate, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the Radha Soami Satsang, Beas was a charitable organisation but the opposition was indirectly opposing a solution to their problem and said that the BJP MLAs also staged a dharna outside the hospital in Hamirpur.
The amendment was proposed to facilitate the transfer of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) hospital land at Bhota in Hamirpur to its sister organisation - Maharaj Jagat Singh Medical Relief Society.
The RSSB had approached the state government to facilitate the land transfer but faced obstacles due to the existing land transfer laws. Following this, the organisation posted a notice on the hospital's gate on November 25, stating that it would no longer be able to provide services.
The hospital's closure sparked widespread protests last month, with people, especially women blocking roads in protest. Following the protests, the CM said the state government would introduce an amendment to the Land Ceiling Act in the Winter Session.
Replying to the discussion, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said that the amendment would apply to all religious, charitable and spiritual organisations and the government would ensure that the Act was not misused.
