GMCH spends telecom tower rent on flower pots, mobile phones for doctors
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 6
After keeping the annual amount paid by a private telecommunication company as rent to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, amounting to Rs 4.85 lakh, for nearly four years, the hospital authorities have spent it on the purchase of flower pots and mobile phones for “selected” doctors.
Instead of depositing the money in the UT Treasury, as stipulated under the norms, the authorities kept the amount in the official account of the GMCH Director- Principal for nearly four years. In December 2014, a meeting was convened where these purchases were decided. Sources said nearly all purchases had been made over the past four months.
“At a meeting convened on December 17, 2014, in the office of the Department of Orthopaedics, members of the committee discussed various requirements and recommended the purchase of 500 flower pots for the beautification of the hospital, 25 mobile phones for senior residents and other officials, revolving chairs for telephone operators…” read a copy of the minutes of the meeting of the “committee constituted for the utilisation of funds received from M/s Vodafone Essar Ltd”.
The Director- Principal, Dr Atul Sachdev, said this money was being paid as “a goodwill gesture by telecom companies for the past almost 10 years. Earlier, Airtel had been paying us the amount and an MoU was signed with Vodafone a few years ago. We had an agreement that this amount will be spent on gardening and beautification of the hospital.”
“Earlier, an audit objection was raised on this issue, but it was then clarified that this amount is not part of revenue,” Dr Sachdev said.
The sources said the amount was being paid as annual rent by the company to the GMCH in lieu of a signal tower installed inside the hospital campus by it.
A copy of the agreement with the telecom company, on the other hand, reads, “The first party (Vodafone) agreed to pay Rs 1,25,440 towards the telecommunication system and other infrastructure. The ownership of the infrastructure installed by the first party (Vodafone) shall all the time vest with the first party and shall be installed in the premises of the second party (the GMCH)…”
