Pune: Work On Warje Multispecialty Hospital Yet To Begin; Administration Avoids Providing Information
Pune: Work On Warje Multispecialty Hospital Yet To Begin; Administration Avoids Providing Information
Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had announced plans to build a multispecialty hospital in Warje under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Despite a grand foundation-laying ceremony held a year ago, the construction of the hospital has not yet commenced.
Concerns have been raised over the lack of transparency regarding the project. Vivek Velankar, president of Sajag Nagrik Manch, has alleged that crucial documents, including the contract details and the Detailed Project Report (DPR), have not been made available by the municipal health department. At a press conference, he demanded that the administration disclose all relevant records and specify the timeline for the hospital’s construction.
The foundation-laying ceremony was attended by then-Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis. However, there has been no update from the PMC’s health department regarding the progress of the project. Even after filing a Right to Information (RTI) request, only limited information has been provided.
Velankar revealed that an on-site visit confirmed that no work had begun, raising further doubts about the project’s status. The agreement for the hospital was signed on August 17, 2023, yet the contract was not executed on stamp paper. As per the agreement, a DPR was supposed to be submitted within 120 days, but its status remains unclear. Additionally, the contracting company was required to deposit 5% of the total project cost (₹17 crore) as a security deposit, but there are no official records confirming this payment.
A special government committee was supposed to oversee the project, but no information about its formation has been provided by the administration. Due to these inconsistencies and the lack of transparency, suspicions of irregularities have surfaced.
Velankar has demanded that the administration clarify these issues and release all necessary documents within a week.
When questioned about the delay, PMC Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale stated that the hospital’s construction would commence soon. He cited pending approvals as the reason for the delay and mentioned that the contractor had secured funding from an international financial institution. However, banks do not disburse loans without construction permits, which are still awaited, stated Bhosle, as reported by Loksatta.
