CAG slams BMC over delay in Sion hospital redevelopment | Mumbai news - Hindustan Times
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CAG slams BMC over delay in Sion hospital redevelopment

Mar 27, 2023 12:14 AM IST

he Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has slammed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the delay in the redevelopment of Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital in Sion and violation of the tender conditions and central government directives on environmental clearance while implementing the project

Mumbai: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has slammed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the delay in the redevelopment of Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital in Sion and violation of the tender conditions and central government directives on environmental clearance while implementing the project. The redevelopment project has progressed just 7% in two years after the work order was issued in January 2021.

Mumbai, India - May 12, 2020: Over view of Lokmanya Tilak municipal general Hospital, Sion, during a nationwide lockdown imposed as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. (Photo by Satish Bate/Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)
Mumbai, India - May 12, 2020: Over view of Lokmanya Tilak municipal general Hospital, Sion, during a nationwide lockdown imposed as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. (Photo by Satish Bate/Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

According to the special report on the BMC tabled in state legislature on Saturday, the hospital redevelopment project was approved by the civic body in 2017 and the work worth 519.12 crore was awarded to Ahluwalia Contracts Limited in January 2021. Shashank Mehendale and Associates was appointed as consultant for the project.

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The report, however, said that they failed in obtaining timely environmental clearances from the state and central authority. Four years after the project was approved, the consultant approached the state environment impact assessment authority in March 2022. Until December 2022 (when the inspection was conducted by CAG), environmental clearance was not obtained, leading to the delay in the project, which was estimated to be completed in five years.

“It is observed that the temporary transit building, completed by spending 15 crore was occupied in May 2022 without obtaining environmental clearance. In the absence of environmental clearance, the work of the nursing college was held up until September 2022. The construction of the hostel building and BMC utility that was about to begin in June 2022 could not begin for the want of building permission and environmental clearance. The consultant failed to execute the essential work of obtaining approvals,” the report stated.

The report further stated that the BMC has violated central government directives on environment clearance and the tender conditions by issuing work orders without the consultant having obtained the required no objection certificates (NOCs) and approvals from the authorities.

The redevelopment project included construction of 17 buildings comprising a nursing college and doctors’ residential building, utility, undergraduate and hostel building among others. Against the total project cost of 519, the civic body could complete the work of 33 crore by December 22, nearly two years after the allotment of the order with the mandate of completing the work in five years.

The state government in its submission to the CAG this month has requested that though the BMC explanation was not comprehensive it may be taken into consideration. The government has, however, admitted to the need for exercising greater transparency in such projects.

“We will submit our say on it during the hearing by the public accounts committee of the state legislature. We hope that some of the strictures will be dropped after it,” a top BMC official said requesting anonymity.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Surendra P Gangan is Senior Assistant Editor with political bureau of Hindustan Times’ Mumbai Edition. He covers state politics and Maharashtra government’s administrative stories. Reports on the developments in finances, agriculture, social sectors among others.

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