AHMEDABAD: A major alleged financial irregularity has surfaced at a government hospital in Palitana, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, where a 2.55 lakh-litre underground water tank approved for the facility was reportedly not constructed, even though a Rs 50.43 lakh bill had been submitted to the government for payment.
Health Minister Praful Panseria has ordered strict action, including a police complaint against the officials responsible and action against the contractor. Two employees have been suspended in connection with the matter.
The alleged irregularity came to light when Panseria inspected the hospital around 13 days ago and found that the approved underground tank was nowhere to be seen.
The tank, with a capacity of 2.55 lakh litres, was intended to strengthen the hospital's water infrastructure. Its absence raised questions over how a government project could allegedly reach the billing stage without the work being completed on site.
Following the inspection, the Health Minister sought an immediate explanation from the officials concerned and ordered a detailed examination of the entire process. A video conference was subsequently held with officials of Palitana Government Hospital and the Project Implementation Unit (PIU), during which details of the sanction, execution, verification and submission of the bill were sought.
The matter became more serious when it emerged that the ₹50.43 lakh bill had been submitted despite the tank allegedly not having been constructed. This raised questions over the role of the contractor as well as the officials responsible for verifying the work before forwarding the bill.
The Health Department has initiated action against officials allegedly responsible for the process. Instructions have been issued to register a police complaint against in-charge Executive Engineer Mehul Dave and Deputy Executive Engineer N.V. Kalia, who have been named in connection with the submission of the bill.
The department has also ordered action, ranging from suspension to dismissal, against officials for alleged negligence in the discharge of their duties. Two employees have already been suspended.
The contractor, Dharmanandan Construction of Surat, has also come under scrutiny. The Health Department has directed officials to initiate strict action against the firm, including blacklisting it if the allegations are established.
The episode has put the spotlight on the checks and balances governing government construction projects. A key question facing the department is how a bill worth more than Rs 50 lakh could allegedly move through the official process when the physical work was reportedly absent from the site.
Health Minister Praful Panseria said, "No negligence, malpractice or irregularity will be tolerated in the use of public funds allocated for the state's health services. Maintaining quality, transparency and accountability in government health development works is the priority of the government."
He further said the Health Department would closely monitor whether sanctioned works were actually completed on site and whether prescribed quality standards were maintained.
The minister said, "The department will strictly monitor the actual completion of approved works on site and maintain quality standards. In this matter, instructions have been given to proceed with a police complaint, suspension or dismissal against responsible officials and the process of blacklisting the contractor."
The Palitana case has therefore moved beyond a routine departmental lapse, with police action, disciplinary proceedings and possible blacklisting now on the table. The investigation will be crucial in determining how the bill was processed, who verified the work and whether public funds were at risk of being released for a project that allegedly did not exist on the ground.