Shimla: Congress today opposed attaching of government hospitals to private institutions for setting up new medical colleges.
Mukesh Agnihotri, newly appointed congress spokesman said, “the party was for providing affordable healthcare, but the BJP government was attempting to encroach upon it by offering government hospitals to private entrepreneurs who plan to set up medical colleges in the state.â€
“We will oppose any move to privatize healthcare,†said Agnihotri.
Speaking about the Vivekanand Medical Trust entering into an agreement with Jai Prakash Sewa Sansthan, a JP Associate charity organization, Agnihotri said that such an arrangement would only make treatment unaffordable for the common man, which was the basic objective of the government doling out land for the purpose.
He said that BJP government, even after being in power for 10 months was only drawing upon the development strides made by the previous congress government.
The state government had nothing to showcase and only was only resorting to political victimization by sacking PTA teachers and launching inquiries against opposing party workers.
He said that a ADB loan of Rs 3600 crore for hydropower development for which papers would soon be signed was part of a package which prime minister Manmohan Singh had committed for the state on the request of the previous congress government.
Similarly he counted a Rs 1365 Cr World Bank loan for road infrastructure, a central university, an IIT and now a new medical college among the achievements which congress party had handed to Himachal.
Kuldeep Rathore, the other party spokesman who was also present said that BJP was adopting double standards.
“The party lays blame on the center for anything that goes wrong or was anti people but at the same time took all the credit if some noteworthy project came the states way from the central government,†he said
Rathore said BJP was withdrawing from its manifesto commitments which was demonstrated by scrapping the state administrative tribunal something which the party had stated it would expand and open up more regional offices.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads the team of media professionals at Hill Post.
In a career spanning over two decades through all formats of journalism in Electronic, Print and Online Media, he brings with him enough experience to steer this platform. He lives in Shimla.
