Radha Soami to shut charitable hospital, protests erupt against Congress govt in Himachal
The protesters were upset over the levying of GST on hospital services despite the fact that the trust was rendering free medical services and demanded a written assurance or notification from the state government that the hospital would not be closed.
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Former chief minister P K Dhumal said that during his first tenure as CM, he had talked to Baba Gurinder Singh (In frame), the head of Radha Soami Satsang Beas, for such an institute following which the construction work was started in 1999. (Radha Soami Satsang Beas)Hundreds of Hamirpur residents Wednesday held a protest against the closure of a charitable hospital run by Radha Soami Satsang Beas in Bhota area and obstructed the traffic on Hamirpur-Shimla highway for sometime. Raising slogans demanding the continuation of medical services at the charitable hospital, a group of women obstructed the traffic and a minor scuffle also ensued between protesters and the police.
While the administration and the police are trying to pacify the agitators, the locals have decided to hold protests from 11 am to 4 pm every day over the failure of the state government to transfer the land of the hospital.
The villagers on Monday had held a demonstration after the sect put up a notice on the hospital’s main gate informing people that it will not be able to give its services from December 1.
The Radha Soami Satsang Beas has been approaching the state government to transfer the hospital’s land to its sister organisation but is facing some issues under the Land Ceiling Act. The request for land transfer was made to obtain GST exemption in the purchase of machinery and other equipment to upgrade the hospital facilities.
Located in the foothills of Himalayas, the 75-bed hospital on Hamirpur-Shimla highway gives free medical facilities to patients and has been running since 2000. It caters to people from over 900 villages in its 15 km radius.
Hospital administrator Colonel Jaggi (retired) said a notice has been put up on the gate following the orders received from the sect management. As of now, no written assurance has been received from the state government, he said.
The protesters were also upset over the levying of GST on hospital services despite the fact that the trust was rendering free medical services and demanded a written assurance or notification from the state government that the hospital would not be closed.
BJP MLAs Inder Dutt Lakahnpal and Ashish Sharma visited the spot and held talks with the management as well as protesters and urged them not to resort to road blockade and continue their agitation peacefully.
The MLAs said it was up to the state government to take immediate action to end the stalemate. There was no hitch in transferring the land in the name of the charitable trust but the dilly delaying attitude of the state government was responsible for this.
Meanwhile, in a statement, former chief minister P K Dhumal said that the state government should ensure smooth running of the hospital in the public interest.
He said during his first tenure as CM, he had talked to Baba Gurinder Singh, the head of Radha Soami Satsang Beas, for such an institute following which the construction work was started in 1999. Since then, this hospital has dedicated itself to the people of the area.
“The closure of this institute is a matter of concern. Roads, education and health are basic facilities and it is the duty of the government to make these facilities available to the public and such charitable health institutes are beneficial for both the government and the public,” he added.
On Monday, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the sect wishes to give the land of the charitable hospital to its sister organisation and the state government is contemplating to bring an ordinance for making provision in the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holding Act, 1972 to transfer the land
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