Claims that not a single penny has been received from the central government for this hospital
Vishal Rana, Hamirpur:
In a bold and direct challenge, Congress MLA Suresh Kumar has demanded that BJP leaders either provide documentary proof of the Centre sanctioning Rs. 300 crore for a new cancer hospital here or issue a public apology for “spreading falsehoods,” escalating a political war over the high-profile healthcare project.
The MLA from Bhoranj categorically stated that the proposed cancer hospital in Jolsappar is the “dream project” of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, and accused the opposition BJP of a “systematic campaign to mislead the public and claim credit.”
The controversy centres on claims made by BJP MLA Inderdutt Lakhanpal and former MLA Rajendra Rana that Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda had released Rs. 300 crore for the facility.
“I challenge them to make public the documents proving that the state government has received this Rs. 300 crore from the Centre. The truth is, not a single penny has been received from the central government for this hospital,” Suresh Kumar asserted in a hard-hitting press statement. “If they cannot produce these documents, they must seek forgiveness from the people for spreading lies.”
Countering the BJP’s narrative, the Congress leader revealed that, acting on the CM’s directives, the state government has already cleared and disbursed the first installment of Rs. 80 crore to initiate the construction of the hospital.
Leveraging the moment, Suresh Kumar launched a broader offensive against the BJP, claiming that the Centre has contributed nothing to a massive, state-led health sector overhaul.
“The current state government is investing Rs. 3,000 crore in the health sector. The central government’s contribution to this is zero,” he claimed, contrasting it with what he called the “ruined” state of health and education left by the previous BJP regime.
He pointed to the introduction of state-of-the-art robotic surgery at the Atal Super Speciality Hospital, Chamiana, and Tanda Medical College as evidence of the Sukhu government’s “visionary thinking,” adding that similar facilities are being rolled out at other major medical colleges.
The MLA did not hold back in his personal criticism, suggesting the BJP leaders were acting out of “frustration and despair” in the face of unprecedented development under the Congress administration.
He claimed that Lakhanpal has been “flustered” since the Chief Minister’s visit to his constituency of Barsar and has now resorted to “irresponsible rhetoric.” Of Rajendra Rana, Kumar said he has been unable to digest his by-election defeat and that his only remaining role is to “spread rumours,” a act for which “no one takes him seriously anymore.”
The sharp exchange has turned the proposed cancer hospital into the latest political battleground in Himachal Pradesh, with the Congress firmly positioning it as a state-funded achievement and daring the BJP to prove its claims.