GMSH chemist: Former Director Health Services conspired to increase shop size, says report

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Chandigarh, October 30

The fact-finding committee looking into the increase in size of a chemist shop at the Government Multi-Speciality Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, has in its report submitted on Sunday pointed to “illegal conspiracy” by the then Director Health Services (DHS) in allowing the lessee double the area by encroaching upon a passage meant for patients and hospital staff.

Grave irregularities overlooked

Had then DHS and subsequent directors taken necessary action on grave irregularities, continuation of chemist shop beyond that period would have been stopped. Committee report

It has been alleged, Dr Manjit Singh Bains, then Director Health Services, indulged in illegal conspiracy with shop owner ML Gupta to merge the adjacent area into the shop.

“Considering that none of the officers objected to the illegal act while their offices were located on the very first floor, it indicates the load-bearing wall might have been removed with the connivance of the officers at that juncture,” reads the report.

“At the time, had the then Director Health Services and subsequent directors taken necessary action on such a sensitive and grave issue of irregularities, the continuation of chemist shop beyond that period would have been stopped. In that case, the Chandigarh Administration would not have suffered wrongful loss which could run into crores of rupees,” the committee noted.

At present, the area occupied by the chemist shop at booth No. 6 along with the passage is 329.16 sq ft, whereas the drawing suggests the area of the original shop No. 6 was 151.87 sq ft. The sole chemist shop had been in business for the past 29 years on the premises of GMSH-16 without any tendering process and through extension of licence.

The committee after through inquiry has concluded the chemist shop was occupying more than the area of the shop, allotted in 1993, approved in the layout plan and no document is available to indicate the Health Department allowed or agreed at any stage to include the adjoining passage in the chemist shop.

From the reference of the Vigilance Branch, the committee has noted the load-bearing wall was demolished and the passage included in the chemist shop prior to 2013. The Superintendent Vigilance has also mentioned in the report about irregularities found during verification of information concerning commercial sites being run on the premises.

The assessment of rent for the encroached area of chemist shop from January 2010 to October 2022, as per collector rate of UT, has also been made and the loss to the exchequer for the additional space of 177.29 sq ft is estimated at Rs 64,69,913.

The committee has concluded the public passage needs to be kept free from any temporary/permanent encroachment to ensure public safety. “Its commercial use, either with or without permission, amounts to a criminal act because it has exposed the patients/attendants/staff to public safety issues, especially during fire or some natural calamity,” it says.

It has also been suggested the load-bearing wall between shop No. 6 and the public passage must be restored in view of public safety and restoration charges be recovered from the lessee of the chemist shop.

File missing, ssp urged to lodgeFIR

A file related to the GMSH-16 chemist shop post 2014 has been found missing and the SSP has been requested to lodge an FIR in this regard.

Fact-finding panel’s observations

• Shop occupying more than the area allotted in 1993 and approved in layout plan
• Load-bearing wall demolished, passage for patients included in shop No. 6 prior to 2013
• Loss to exchequer for addl 177.29 sq ft space added to shop pegged at Rs 64,69,913
• Wall between shop & public passage be restored, charges recovered from lessee