Shimla: Facing protests over the closure of a charitable hospital in Hamirpur district, the Himachal Pradesh government will introduce an amendment bill to the Land Ceiling Act on the first day of the Winter Session of the Assembly set to begin on December 18.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting convened by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu here on Sunday to address the closure of the hospital in Botha run by the Radha Soami Satsang Beas, a statement issued here on Sunday said.
According to the statement, Sukhu has directed officials to prepare a draft of the amendment bill immediately and present it in the upcoming Cabinet meeting. He said his government was making every possible effort to ensure that the hospital remains operational so that the people continue to receive quality healthcare services.
He said while the government initially considered bringing an ordinance to provide relief to the Radha Soami Satsang Beas, the Assembly session's proximity makes the introduction of an amendment bill more feasible.
The sect wishes to transfer the hospital to the Maharaj Jagat Singh Medical Relief Society, which it considers a sister organisation. It had approached the state government to facilitate the transfer of the hospital's land but encountered obstacles under the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings Act.
The transfer request was made to obtain GST exemptions for purchasing medical equipment and upgrading the hospital's facilities.
Sukhu highlighted that the matter has remained unresolved for nearly a decade. Even during the BJP's tenure, the matter was discussed in 2019 and the Radha Soami Satsang Beas had also sought relief from the then BJP government.
The closure of the charitable hospital has sparked widespread protests with a large number of people, especially women from a 15-km radius protesting outside the hospital since Monday after the Radha Soami Satsang Beas put up a notice on the hospital's main gate stating that it would no longer be able to provide services starting December 1.
The protesters demanding a written assurance or notification from the state government that the hospital would remain open had blocked the Shimla-Dharamshala road near Hamirpur on November 28 for three hours to press their demand. However, they resorted to silent protest on November 29 after the CM announced that he would convene a meeting to resolve the issue.
Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, the 75-bed hospital on the Hamirpur-Shimla highway has been offering free medical care since 2000. It serves lakhs of people from over 900 villages within a 15-km radius.
