Himachal government to table Bill to amend land transfer laws in assembly over Hamirpur hospital protests

Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Sukhu, who on Sunday convened a meeting to discuss the issue of land transfer related to charitable hospital at Hamipur, directed officials to prepare a draft of the amendment bill

Amid the widespread protests over the closure of a charitable hospital run by Radha Soami Satsang Beas in Bhota area of Hamirpur district, chief minister (CM) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday said the state government would introduce an amendment bill to the Land Ceiling Act on the first day of the assembly’s winter session set to begin on December 18.

Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (FIle)

Sukhu, who on Sunday convened a meeting at his official residence, Oak Over, to discuss the issue of land transfer related to charitable hospital at Bhota, directed officials to prepare a draft of the amendment bill immediately. “The state government intends to keep the hospital functional so that nearby residents continue to receive quality healthcare services,” he said.

The Radha Soami Satsang Beas is running a 75-bed hospital situated on 44 acres of land, in Bhota, Hamirpur. The management has expressed its wish to upgrade the facility with new equipment, but has sought clearance from the government to transfer its land to a sister organisation to avoid paying a huge sum as GST.

The CM convened the meeting in the backdrop of the protests being held outside the hospital since Monday, where residents, mostly women, are demanding the continuation of medical services at the hospital. Notably, the management had put up a notice that the hospital will be closed from December 1.

MLAs Suresh Kumar and Kamlesh Thakur, additional chief secretary Onkar Chand Sharma, advocate general Anoop Ratan and law secretary Sharad Kumar Lagwal were present at the meeting.

Sukhu said the state government was making every possible effort to provide relief to Radha Soami Satsang Beas and ensure that the hospital remains operational.

He added that while the government initially considered bringing an ordinance to provide relief to the organisation, the assembly session’s proximity makes the introduction of an amendment bill more feasible.

The CM said the issue pertaining to the land has remained unresolved for nearly a decade. It had also come up for discussions in 2019, with the Radha Soami Satsang Beas having also sought relief from the then Bharatiya Janata Party government.