Sonepat faces delays in civic, health projects amid vacant posts

Sonepat’s Municipal Corporation (MC) has been functioning without a Commissioner for 54 days, while the Health Department faces similar challenges with the posts of Chief Medical Officer (CMO)/Civil Surgeon and Principal Medical Officer (PMO) lying vacant for two months.

The Commissioner’s post has been vacant since November 3, when the state government transferred Vishram Kumar Meena, who was also the Additional CEO of the Sonepat Metropolitan Development Authority (SMDA). The additional charge has been given to Panipat MC Commissioner-cum-ADC Dr Pankaj Yadav.

An official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, “Development proposals and routine administrative work have been severely affected due to the absence of a permanent Commissioner. The government must appoint a regular Commissioner for Sonepat MC at the earliest.” Tenders and proposals requiring administrative approval remain stuck, delaying crucial civic projects.

The Health Department is similarly impacted. The 200-bed Civil Hospital in Sonepat has been running without a Civil Surgeon and PMO since October. Dr Jai Kishor’s retirement left the Civil Surgeon post vacant and while the charge has been given to Panipat’s Civil Surgeon Dr Jayant Ahuja, he visits Sonepat only two days a week.

An anonymous hospital employee said, “Routine hospital work and key decisions are suffering in the absence of a regular Civil Surgeon and PMO.”

Nikhil Madaan, MLA Sonepat, acknowledged the challenges, saying, “There’s no doubt that the absence of key posts like Commissioner and Civil Surgeon has affected work. However, health officials have recently been promoted and a new Civil Surgeon will join soon. The matter of appointing a Commissioner for the MC has also been discussed with the government and an appointment will be made shortly.”

The prolonged vacancies have raised concerns about administrative inefficiency, affecting both civic services and healthcare delivery in Sonepat.