Una PGI satellite hospital work tardy, rues Anurag Thakur

Una, June 6

Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur today expressed disappointment over the tardy pace of the construction of the PGI satellite hospital building at Malahat village here.

He was presiding over a virtual review meeting of the project. The officials concerned from the PGI Chandigarh, the district administration and chairman of the State Finance Commission Satpal Satti were present.

Anurag Thakur questioned the PGI officials regarding the slow progress of work. He said the hospital would cater to patients from Himachal and the bordering areas of Punjab, thereby reducing the burden on the PGI, Chandigarh. He directed Una Deputy Commissioner Raghav Sharma to hold two review meetings every month to expedite the work.

The 300-bed PGI satellite hospital will have 125 doctors, besides 1,000 nursing and paramedic staff.

Satpal Satti said work on the boundary wall had begun, but it had to be stalled due to some reasons. He said consultancy work for formulating drawings and estimates had recently been awarded to a Noida-based firm.

The firm had been asked to appoint a nodal officer for the job and open its working office in Una. The firm had been given a nine-month deadline for drawings and estimates, after which tenders for the construction work would be floated. The firm would get two years to complete the civil works estimated at Rs 400 crore, he said. The state government had already allocated its share of Rs 12 crore for water, electricity and approach roads, besides allocating land. — OC