MOHALI: As part of the 'AAP Di Sehat Da Reality Check' campaign, former Health Minister and senior Congress leader Balbir Singh Sidhu today visited the site in Sector-66, Mohali, where he had laid the foundation stone for the 350-bed Sahibzada Ajit Singh Civil Hospital during the Congress government while serving as Health Minister.
Addressing the media, he strongly criticized the Punjab Government, stating that although the Aam Aadmi Party made grand promises of development after coming to power, the reality is that even after four and a half years, not a single brick has been laid for the construction of the hospital.
Sidhu said that the Congress government had completed all the necessary administrative formalities for the project. A total of 8.72 acres of land had been allotted, more than ₹50 crore had been sanctioned for the project, and all tenders had already been approved. People had expected the project to progress faster after the change of government, but instead, the Aam Aadmi Party completely shelved it.
He further said that what was even more unfortunate was that the foundation stone installed by the Congress government had also been removed. Sidhu stated that this was not merely an insult to a political party but an insult to the aspirations and development of the people of Mohali. A government that halts public welfare projects for political reasons is engaging in political vendetta rather than serving the interests of the people.
Targeting MLA Kulwant Singh, Sidhu questioned why the projects initiated during the Congress government were still lying incomplete. He said that instead of completing the ongoing projects, the government has failed even to finish the work that had already begun, let alone launch new development initiatives.
Sidhu also alleged that the Punjab Government's ₹10 lakh health treatment card has remained nothing more than a publicity tool. According to him, the card is not being accepted by several private hospitals, forcing patients to struggle in search of medical treatment. Instead of receiving healthcare facilities, people have been left with false promises and disappointment.
He said that halting healthcare infrastructure projects amounts to compromising people's lives. Had this hospital been completed on time, thousands of patients would have benefited from modern medical facilities. Instead, the government has chosen publicity over development.
Sidhu further stated that the tenure of the present Punjab Government has been marked by promises and publicity rather than delivery. On the ground, many major development projects across the state remain incomplete. Rather than providing better healthcare, education, and infrastructure, the government is focused on hiding its failures.
He announced that under the 'AAP Di Sehat Da Reality Check' campaign, he would visit every district in Punjab to expose the actual condition of government hospitals. He alleged that many of the healthcare facilities promised by the Aam Aadmi Party are still unavailable. Several hospitals continue to face shortages of specialist doctors, medicines, medical equipment, and basic infrastructure, while many important healthcare projects remain unfinished. Through this campaign, he said, the real condition of government hospitals, incomplete healthcare projects, and deficiencies in health services across Punjab would be documented and presented with evidence so that people could clearly see the gap between the government's claims and the ground reality.
Concluding his address, Balbir Singh Sidhu demanded that the injustice being done to the people of Mohali be brought to an end immediately. He called upon the Punjab Government to commence construction of the Sahibzada Ajit Singh Civil Hospital without further delay and to complete all pending development projects that had been approved during the Congress government.