Senior Deputy Mayor opens front against own party leaders

Dhab Khatika hospital

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 23

A day after Cabinet Minister OP Soni tried to end the deadlock between the Municipal Corporation and the Health Department over the possession of the building of a hospital at Dhab Khatika, Senior Deputy Mayor Raman Bakshi has opened a front against his own party leaders.

Soni had said the civic body and Health Department would jointly run the hospital.

Taking to The Tribune, Bakshi said he would oppose the move to hand over the property worth over Rs200 crore to the Health Department in the House. “We have already sought a legal opinion on the issue and will move court as the matter is unconstitutional as no permission has been sought from the MC,” he added.

During the previous government, the Health Department had expressed its interest in turning MC dispensaries into model urban health care centres at Dhab Khatika and Chehharta. The department had even spent Rs2.34 crore on the renovation of the Dhab Khatika building, which was constructed in 1917 and inaugurated by Lady Chemsford.

However around six months ago, the MC had stopped the Health Department from setting up the proposed hospital. It had locked the building. “The Health Department has not shown any documents to prove that the MC had granted them the permission to occupy the building,” said Bakshi.

The Senior Deputy Mayor said the MC was facing financial constraints and allowing the Health Department to use its property in such a manner that was not in the interest of the city. “The property could fetch Rs200 crore in the open market. The Health Department is proposing to start a limited facility which could be provided at alternate space,” said Bakshi, adding that Cabinet Minister OP Soni might not have been property informed about the issue at hand by his subordinates.

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