Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat has assured the delegation from Sangyut Sangarsh Samiti, Srinagar, that the Joint Hospital based in Srinagar will retain its own identity and will not merge with the Medical College in Srikot (Srinagar).
He further said that a five-member committee will probe the mismanagement involving the base hospital on 5 August. Following the assurance from the Chief Minister, the Joint Sangarsh Samiti has postponed its next course of agitation programmes like hunger-strike and fast-unto-death that was to begin from 15 August. However, the sit-in will continue till 5 August, they said.
Notably, the Sangyut Sangarsh Samiti, Srinagar -Garhwal, had started the stir against the merger of the Government Joint Hospital, Srinagar, with the Medical College, Srinagar, on 15 July.
On returning from Dehradun, Joint Sangarsh Samiti president Anil Swami told The Pioneer that the 15-member delegation had met the Chief Minister on Friday on the issue and told him categorically that they would oppose heart and soul the merger of the Government Joint Hospital Srinagar with the Medical College Srikot (Srinagar). They had stressed on the Joint Hospital retaining its identity, he added.
It is learnt that Rawat assured that his government would do everything to enhance the facilities at the Joint Hospital.
On the other hand, Srikot Jagruk Manch's stir against the mismanagement involving the base hospital at Srikot entered its 19th day on Saturday.
The agitating Manch will stage rally and public meeting at the dharna site on 3 August to be followed by a rally on 5 August and locking the administration block of the base hospital and Medical College from 7 August.
"This is against the callousness on the part of the State Government on the sensitive issue," one of the agitating outfit's members said.