Congress accuses BJP of taking anti-Mandi decisions

Mandi, Feb 19 (UNI) Cogress MLA and former health Minister, Thakur Kaul Singh, today came down heavily on BJP government for reversing the decision of the previous Congress government to open Government Medical College at Mandi.

The decision of the BJP government to open a private medical college at Mandi, he said, had touched off widespread resentment among the people of Central zone comprising five districts of Himachal Pradesh.

The former minister said the private medical college would serve the ends of only the rich and would be beyond the reach of the poor, who would be fleeced in emergencies.

He said the rationale behind the decision of Congress government to set up a Government Medical college at Mandi was that there was already a Government Medical College each in the other two zones - Southern and Northern - at Shimla and Tanda.

He accused Mr Dhumal of adopting a step-motherly attitude towards the second largest district of the state saying that even during his previous tenure adequate funds were not provide for Mandi district.

''The construction of Regional Hospital came to a virtually halt as no funds were provided for it while the pace of other developmental works progressed at a snail's pace in Mandi, Mr Kaul Singh said.

Congress leader said he had been ''shocked to learn that it was being conspired to shift the IIT sanctined for Mandi by the central government to some other place as the announcement to set it up at Mandi had been made by no lesser person than Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. It is allegedly learnt that the chief minister had written a letter to the Centre in this regard''.

Mr Kaul Singh cautioned the chief minister to refrain from doing injustice to the district and set up a government Medical College at Mandi which had full infrastructure comprising 500-bed hospital and sprawling land around it.

He warned that if the BJP government did not reverse its anti-people decisions, the pent-up resentment could convert into agitation lead by Congress. He claimed that resentment was brewing even within the BJP against the chief minister.

UNI XC JN BK1653