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Funding Crunch Halts Construction of Bhawarna Civil Hospital in Himachal Pradesh
Construction of the 50-bed Bhawarna Civil Hospital near Palampur has stalled for nearly three years as the PWD struggles with a financial crisis. Over ₹6.5 crore has already been spent, but the four-storey building remains incomplete due to pending funds and unpaid contractor bills.
Bhawarna Civil Hospital Project Stuck as PWD Faces Acute Funding Shortage
₹6.5 crore already spent; construction of 50-bed facility remains incomplete
Construction of the Bhawarna Civil Hospital near Palampur in Kangra district has remained stalled for nearly three years, with the Public Works Department (PWD) struggling to secure the funds needed to finish the project. The department halted work midway due to a severe financial crunch, leaving the partially built 50-bed hospital in limbo.
The new facility was intended to ease the load on the Palampur Civil Hospital. Once operational, it was expected to save patients nearly an hour of travel time by offering local access to key medical services.
Work on the hospital began in 2018 during the BJP government, when Sulah MLA Vipin Singh Parmar served as Health Minister. The PWD was allocated a budget of ₹8.32 crore to complete the four-storey building within two years. Former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had laid the foundation stone for the project.
Apart from the 50-bed capacity, the plan included setting up a modern laboratory and an ultrasound unit. The government had sanctioned 10 posts for doctors, and several were already serving in the old building.
Information gathered by The Tribune shows that ₹6.50 crore has already been spent on the project. The PWD now requires an additional ₹2 crore to finish the remaining work, of which more than ₹1 crore is owed to the contractor. However, no funds have been released to the contractor for the past two years, causing work to slow to a near halt.
Parmar stated that the project was intended to provide relief to the public, who previously had to travel 15–20 kilometres to Palampur for treatment of serious ailments. He claimed the BJP government had allocated adequate funds but said the project had been sidelined after the Congress government took office.
A senior PWD official said the request for additional funds is currently with higher authorities, and the department expects a release of funds soon.
