CUTTACK: On the eve of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s proposed trip to Cuttack, Secretary to the CM’s Transformation and Initiatives (5Ts) VK Pandian on Wednesday visited the Hospital and reviewed the expansion works. Accompanied by Water Resources Secretary Surendra Kumar, Works Secretary Krishan Kumar and Housing and Urban Development Secretary G Mathivathanan, Pandian reached the city at 4.40 am and went to the 25-acre area which is set to be vacated for hospital’s expansion.
Later, Pandian visited Odisha State Maritime Museum where he reviewed plans for SCBMCH infrastructure development and held discussions with Revenue Divisional Commissioner and Collector.
The 5T Secretary has set February 28 deadline for the officials to complete necessary preliminary works, including shifting of some Government establishments and quarters to facilitate SCB expansion and evict encroachers from Taladanda canal road for construction of a four-lane road from the hospital campus.
Later, the team reached Hadia Patha on Mahanadi river bank where he took stock of river bed dredging, sand filling and levelling works. The Chief Minister, who is scheduled to visit Cuttack on Thursday for the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, is likely to lay foundation stone for expansion of SCBMCH, said sources.
Earlier, the CM had announced Rs 1,000 crore package for modernisation and revamp of the premier Government-run hospital and converting it into a state-of-the-art 3,000-bed integrated hospital to provide AIIMS Plus standard healthcare services.