Hamirpur (HP), Nov 29 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has convened a high-level meeting in Shimla on December 1 to address the closure of a charitable hospital run by Radha Soami Satsang Beas, which has sparked widespread protests here.
According to a letter issued by the CM's office on Thursday, the state’s Advocate General, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) and Secretary (Law) have been asked to attend the meeting.
Welcoming the CM’s decision, people who had previously threatened a large-scale demonstration at Hamirpur's Bhota Chowk today instead organised a peaceful protest at the main gate of Bhota Charitable Hospital. One of the protesters, Ravinder Khana, a retired SDO, urged the hospital authorities to continue their services.
"We have been receiving free medical treatment for years and want the hospital to continue its work in the larger interest of the poor," said another protester.
The demonstrations began on Monday after the Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) put up a notice on the hospital's main gate stating that it would no longer be able to provide services starting December 1. A large number of people, especially women from a 15-km radius, gathered to demand a written assurance or notification from the state government that the hospital would remain open.
The protesters had blocked the Shimla-Dharamshala National Highway at Sulangan, Budhwin Chowk, and Salauni near Hamirpur at various intervals on Thursday, causing disruptions for nearly three hours.
Three cases have been registered against unidentified individuals under Sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint) and 189(2) (illegal assembly) of the Bhartiya Nayaya Sanhita for obstruction and roadblock.
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 and occupies an area of approximately 64 acres, for which land was donated by local residents.
Senior district officials, police and political leaders have rushed to the site to prevent further agitation, following orders from the state government.
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 request for the transfer was aimed at obtaining GST exemptions for purchasing medical equipment and upgrading the hospital's facilities.
The issue of the hospital's closure has complicated matters for the Congress-led state government, as the Radha Soami sect has a large following in northern India, particularly in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana.
Sources in the state government told PTI that the chief minister has directed revenue authorities to draft a bill, which may be issued as an ordinance, to allow the transfer of the land.
CM Sukhu has maintained that the state government is contemplating to bring an ordinance to amend the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1972, to facilitate the transfer.
Former Chief Minister P K Dhumal, who was instrumental in the establishment of the hospital in 1999-2000, said that the state government should ensure smooth running of the hospital in the public interest as such charitable health institutes are beneficial for both the government and the public.
Meanwhile, to prevent the spread of disinformation, RSSB has issued a statement through its website clarifying that the organisation does not use WhatsApp or other social media platforms for communication.