Chief Minister Says Project Was Approved During Manmohan Singh Government and State Spent Rs 450 Crore
Hamirpur: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has rejected claims being made by Hamirpur MP Anurag Singh Thakur regarding the under-construction Hamirpur Medical College, asserting that the project was not a BJP initiative and had been approved during the tenure of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Addressing a public gathering in Nadaun Assembly constituency, Sukhu said the notification for the establishment of Hamirpur Medical College was issued on January 22, 2014, and the Central Government had approved Rs 180 crore for the project at that time.
The Chief Minister said that during his tenure as an MLA, he had helped secure forest clearance required for construction of the medical college. He added that the institution would be completed and made operational within two months, providing people of the region with better healthcare facilities closer to their homes.
Sukhu alleged that the Centre had provided no assistance towards the construction of the medical college and said the state government had allocated Rs 450 crore from its own budget for the project.
He further said that if a Chief Minister had not been elected from Hamirpur, only the four walls of the medical college would have been standing today.
Cancer Institute to Be Established
Highlighting the government’s plans to expand healthcare infrastructure, Sukhu said the first cancer institute in North India was also being established at Hamirpur Medical College.
The institute will be developed with Japanese support at an estimated cost of around Rs 500 crore, he said.
The Chief Minister also announced that Rs 150 crore had been allocated for construction of a super-speciality block at the medical college. Work on the facility would begin soon, he added.
Sukhu also accused the previous BJP government of neglecting Hamirpur district and said his government was focusing on strengthening healthcare infrastructure and services in the region.
Automated Laboratories at Medical Colleges
The Chief Minister said the state government was working to improve healthcare facilities across Himachal Pradesh, particularly in the public sector.
He said infrastructure was being strengthened at all medical colleges in the state, including diagnostic services. Automated laboratories are being established at medical colleges on the lines of AIIMS Delhi, with an estimated cost of around Rs 28 crore per laboratory.
These laboratories will have the capacity to conduct up to 1,200 tests from a single sample, Sukhu said.
He added that the initiative would strengthen diagnostic facilities in government hospitals and help patients access advanced medical testing closer to their homes.
