G S Asgotra
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 3: Former Minister Bali Bhagat who was on inauguration spree of health buildings across the state forgot building in his own which was sanctioned under his tenure.
Sources informed Early Times that the Health Department had sanctioned residential quarters of Medical Officers and Paramedical Staff in District Hospital, Ramban in financial year, 2015- 2016 at a cost of Rs 621 Lakhs and work of the construction was allotted to Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC).
"During the allotment of the work, the health department had announced the deadline of completion in 2017-18 but the executive agency failed to complete work in stipulated time", said sources while wishing anonymity.
Sources further said that however, under National Health Mission, the health department initially released Rs 21.98 Lakhs in financial year 2015-16 and thereafter the same department released more than 250 Lakhs in last financial year (2017-18) but the building is still incomplete. "Due to absence of residential quarters in DH, Ramban, most of specialists doctors s left the station during the night, resulting the DH, Ramban has become a referral point to Government Medical College Jammu", said a doctor. "The main reason behind non completion of residential quarter is slow pace of funding by the department concerned and it can be gauged from this fact that during the announcement, the department concerned only released just a part of sanctioned money that too under NHM scheme", said official of Executing agency. When contacted, Chief Medical Officer, Ramban Saif- Ul-Ddin Khan said that in last financial year the health department released more than Rs 3 Cr for the completion of left out work and remaining will be released soon. "Now the work of residential quarter is going on at full swing and hopefully would be completed in the next financial year", said CMO. |
