NEW DELHI: Amid the repeated claims of AAP government about plan to create a ‘world-class’ healthcare system in Delhi, around 30 projects related to health infrastructure are stuck due to land allotment tussles with the Delhi Development Authority.
Most of these are construction of government dispensaries and hospitals. A few of them even date back to 2012-13, of the previous regime, and are still on paper. As per the information provided by the health and family welfare department of Delhi government, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) was supposed to construct a State Dental University in Rohini. The land was allotted in 2014, for which the government even paid `31 crore to the DDA in 2015. However, even after sending nine reminders, this land measuring 4.082 hectare has not been handed over to the DGHS.
Similar is the case with plan to construct a hospital in Model Town, where land was allotted in 2013. But, even after eight years the DDA hasn’t given possession of the land. The DGHS has sent 24 reminders but no response has been received. A payment of `8 crore has been made to the DDA for this land. In Tilak Nagar, a large government hospital was to be constructed, for which 25 acres were allotted to the Delhi’s health department but it had encroachments on it. Hence the department requested DDA in 2016 to remove the illegal occupation. The project still remains on paper.
Similarly, the DGHS has been working on a proposal since 2015 for opening a super speciality hospital in Laxmi Nagar and has asked the DDA regarding availability of litigation-and-encroachment-free land but hasn’t not gotten any response even after reminders. “I raised the matter within the agency on many occasions. The vice-chairman has assured me he will look into the matter,” said former law minister of Delhi and AAP MLA Somnath Bharti. He is also a non-official member of the DDA.
Due to the unique nature of governance in Delhi, all the land matters are handled by the DDA which is under the control of the L-G. “All projects are being looked on priority basis. In many instances the project report regarding the land allotment is pending. We are also checking whether there are any issues of litigation,” said a high-ranking DDA officer on condition of anonymity.
Non-starters