SRINAGAR: On my selfless persuasion, residents of Rishipora (Budgam) and contiguous villages donated 78 Kanal of community land to the Jammu and Kashmir Government for the construction of a 200-bed hospital which was promised to us by the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in 2006.

Azad Sahab sent with me then Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Mehboob Iqbal, then Director Health Services Kashmir Dr Muzaffar, then DC Budgam Farooq Reenzu, then CMO Budgam Kichloo etc for taking possession of that piece of the kahcharai land. Entire local population was happy that the land would be utilized for the construction of a major hospital, which would benefit the public.

The Government paid compensation for 3 Kanal of private land for an approach road to the site. But the hospital never came up at the site for 15 years.

Now DRDO is planning to raise a 500-bed Covid hospital for Kashmir at the same site. I request LG Manoj Sinha ji that the entire lower staff for the hospital may be picked up from the donor villages and this proposed hospital in the post-pandemic period may be converted into a full-fledged government hospital. I also request Director Health Services Kashmir Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather and DC Budgam Shahbaz Mirza Sahab to push the donor villagers’ aspiration accordingly with the higher authorities. It will be a pleasure for the esteemed donors who gave this land free of any compensation if it benefits distressed patients during the pandemic and thereafter all the people of Kashmir.