Khaira moves HC over shifting of AIIMS from Kapurthala to Bathinda

Cong ex-MLA says Badal backstabbing people of Doaba for political gains

KAPURTHALA: For mer MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Thursday approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court for intervention to prevent shifting of the site for the All India Institution of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital from Kapurthala district of Doaba region to Bathinda owing to political considerations.

Khaira, in his letter written to the acting Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Shiavax Jal Vazifdar, stated that after the Centre announced allocation of an AIIMS for Punjab, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal had promised to set up the hospital in Doaba region.

“Following the CM’s instructions, the Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner has directed officials to find 200 acres land in the district and the Ramidi village sarpanch had passed a resolution offering panchayat land free of cost for setting up AIIMS on the National Highway (NH-1),” he stated.

Khaira said by moving to shift the site for the hospital from Kapurthala to Bathinda, Badal is now backstabbing the people of Doaba to reap political benefits. Khaira said there is not a single government hospital providing quality healthcare that can cater to the needs of the poor in Doaba and Majha, due to which, people have to travel to the PGI in Chandigarh for treatment, as private hospitals in Jalandhar and Amritsar are beyond their reach.

“A PGI satellite hospital is coming up at Ghabadan Kothi near Sang rur, 75 km from Bathinda,” he said.

He said the intent of the Badal family is to shift the site of all development projects to Bathinda.

By shifting the site of the AIIMS hospital to Bathinda, the Badals, particularly Harsimrat Kaur, is behaving like an autocrat, he added.

There is not a single government hospital providing quality healthcare that can cater to the needs of the poor in Doaba and Majha. People have to travel to the PGI in Chandigarh for treatment.

SUKHPAL SINGH KHAIRA, Former MLA