Don’t shift Atal varsity from Ner Chowk, Balh MLA urges Sukhu

BJP’s Balh MLA Inder Singh Gandhi today submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, urging him not to shift the Atal Medical and Research University from Ner Chowk to Sarkaghat in Mandi district. The Chief Minister had announced during Independence Day celebrations at Sarkaghat on August 15 that the university would be relocated, sparking opposition from Balh residents.

The Chief Minister was in Mandi to attend an official function at Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College and Hospital, Ner Chowk. Ahead of his arrival, BJP supporters led by the Balh MLA staged a protest outside the college gate and raised slogans against the state government’s decision.

As the Chief Minister reached the medical college, the MLA joined him on the dais and handed over a memorandum to him emphasising that Nerchowk was the rightful location for the university. He added that shifting the university elsewhere would negatively impact the people of Balh and stall ongoing development.

The issue has become a political flashpoint in the district, as the BJP is accusing the state government of taking decisions without public consensus. Residents and leaders of Balh have vowed to continue protests if the government goes ahead with its plan.